My New Life
by rattboy
Summary: When Draco and Blaise find out that their submissive is none other than Potter, they were ecstatic at the fact that the boy they both liked was now theirs. Meanwhile, Harry is struggling with depression and never thought that there was someone out there would care for him.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

* * *

Blaise Zabini wasn't a person who liked to speak a lot. He preferred the silence than the company of other people. Ever since he was a young boy, his mother taught him how to be selfish and it wasn't a bad thing. If he wanted something then he would try his hardest to get it. If something was taken from him, then he would fight whoever dared to steal from him and would get it back. Blaise prided himself in being a possessive person. He didn't like to share. Especially when it came to his boyfriend, Draco. He had met the other boy when they were both but seven years old, at his mother's third wedding. They immediately bonded and became friends. Their bond seemed to grow more and more by each passing year, until Draco asked him out when they were both 14 years old. Blaise could still remember that day clearly. He could still remember how nervous the blond appeared, _demanding _to go out with him, claiming that Blaise has always been his.

Now at the age of 17, Blaise was glad that it was his last year of school. After that, he would be able to train to become a Dragons Tamer. While the job clashed with his usual aloof personality, he did have a soft spot for Dragons. They did remind him of his lovely boyfriend, and he would enjoy taking care of these majestic creatures while having a quiet and peaceful life.

Taking a bite of his breakfast, his eyes followed his boyfriend who was sitting next to him to ensure that he was also eating. It wasn't that Draco didn't eat. Oh no. Draco had always had an appetite for food but Blaise still wanted to make sure that everything was alright nonetheless. After seeing his boyfriend take a sip of his juice while speaking with Pansy, he let his eyes wander to the Gryffindor table.

He could see the smaller boy clearly from his seat. Long, unkempt raven hair that was tied behind his head. Dark circles surrounding those beautiful green eyes. A frown placed on what appeared to be the softest lips he had ever seen. Somehow, he always found himself staring at Potter. The boy had captured his attention ever since he saw him on their first day at Hogwarts. Back then the boy had been different. His hair was short and neat, his face bright with a smile, no shadows haunting those eyes. He couldn't for the life of him understand what had happened to Potter. The boy didn't even appear to be keeping his personal hygiene in check anymore. There was something wrong with the Gryffindor. He had watched him as the years went by and he became a mere shadow of the child he was. He noticed the food that was being pushed around in his plate. Potter was never eating; preferring to play with his food instead.

Blaise could feel a hand placed gently on his own, and he turned to focus on his boyfriend.

Draco smiled softly. "You're staring again."

Blaise simply rolled his eyes. He knew his boyfriend was not jealous of him staring at Potter. It was a game for them; catch the other person staring at Potter. He kept looking at his boyfriend as he saw Draco glance towards the Gryffindor table with a frown on his face which turned into a quiet growl.

He didn't know why they were both bothered with glancing at the Lion. They have never spoken a single word to him ever since they first saw him.

He was startled when he felt a tug on his arm, and found himself hauled from his seat by Draco.

Once they were out of the Dining Hall, they held hands and started walking towards the Potions Lab.

"Merlin!" snapped Draco.

"Hmm?" was Blaise's response.

"I want to understand, Blaise," said Draco in frustration. "I don't know Potter but I still want to know what's happening. How is no one noticing? The boy is fading slowly and no one even seems to care. And WHY am I so bothered about this? It's not like I know or care about him."

Blaise kept his silence, unsure of what to say. He did agree with Draco that the situation wasn't ideal. Why had no one noticed Potter's clear lack of self-care? The smaller boy used to be a bright child with many friends surrounding him, but it seems that at some point he had distanced himself from everyone and shut them out. What was happening to him, and where were the adults in his life to notice?

"Calm down, Love," murmured Blaise as he pushed Draco gently close to the wall, his hand running through the blond hair softly, trying to comfort him.

After he felt his boyfriend calm down, he leaned in for a kiss only to be interrupted by a body smacking into him.

Turning around, he saw Ron Weasley who was now on the ground, getting up and dusting himself off before throwing them a death glare. Blaise snorted. He didn't really care for Weasley and his lack of manners didn't annoy him.

He saw a small figure exiting from the Dining Hall. Potter was hurrying their way while keeping his head down and scratching his arm.

Draco stiffened next to him and Blaise took hold of his hand immediately, squeezing softly to reassure his lover and well him to be calm.

The raven boy didn't even glance their way as he ran past them.

All Harry Potter could think of at that moment was the fact that he needed to hurry to class. He wasn't late, but it was always better to be present before the class started filling in. When he noticed from the corner of his eyes the two Slytherins standing few steps ahead of them, he bit his lower lip and quickened his pace. He felt as if he was suffocating. He reached the Potions Lab and opened the door so quickly that he startled the person inside.

"POTTER!" screamed Professor Snape. "What kind of entrance is this? Have some respect!"

Harry lowered his head in shame as the Professor yelled at him, and mumbled an apology. He wasn't in the mood to start fighting with someone very early in the morning.

"What was that?" asked Professor Snape, not hearing what he said.

"I'm sorry, Sir," apologized Harry. "I did not mean to startle you."

"Take your seat and be quiet," snapped the Professor, clearly not wanting this conversation to continue, which Harry was glad for.

He took the seat on the back that was next to the window and stared outside. Hagrid's Hut could be seen from there and he could clearly see a creature he has never seen before lying outside of the Hut. Hagrid always had some sort of creature with him, which Harry liked to observe. They were always very fascinating. He often went to that Hut to play around with the creatures when he was younger. He sort of missed doing that.

As he heard shuffling, he focused his attention on the class once again as the students were filing in. His Housemate, Ron, took the seat beside him while he sighed dramatically.

"I forgot my book in the dormitory and had to run all the way to get it before I was late to class," said Ron as he looked at Harry who simply rested his head on his palm and looked back at him while chewing his lower lip.

Ron shrugged and started speaking with another person.

Harry tensed suddenly once he felt eyes on him. Glancing around the room, his eyes locked with Draco Malfoy. A boy he never really spoke with before. He kept staring at him and blinking, and all he could think of were Malfoy's eyes. They truly were captivating. Blushing, he turned his head to Professor Snape who started barking at students as usual, trying to ignore the eyes that he knew were still locked on him.

The class went as it normally does. Professor Snape shouting at Gryffindors and praising Slytherins. Harry didn't mind all of that as long as it wasn't his turn this time. The Professor seemed to pick a new target to torment every other day and after today's incident, the last thing he wanted was to be humiliated by the Potions Master. While the man didn't, thankfully, signal Harry out each time, he did have a habit of mentioning his father everytime he did so. There was a history between them but Harry didn't know what kind of history. He never knew his parents or anything about them.

He suddenly started feeling dizzy and touched his head to keep it from spinning. Shaking his head, he hoped nothing would happen so that he doesn't cause any scene. The last thing he wanted was to bring attention to himself. Tightening the muscles in his stomach, he could feel the beginning of hunger. He tried his best to focus on what his professor was saying.

Once the class was completed, Harry left the room, glad that he had an hour break before his next class started, and headed outside. He really needed some fresh air.

"Harry!" a voice shouted behind him. "Harry, wait!"

He turned his body towards the sound only to find Hermione Granger.

"Yes?" he asked softly.

"Harry, I'm glad I caught up to you," she said, trying to catch her breath. "You seriously walk so fast! I wanted to ask if you want to be my potions assignment partner. I know that you're good at brewing, and with me being able to write the project it would be a good deal for both of us. We can help each other out."

Harry groaned, and cursed himself when Hermione noticed his groan and flinched slightly. He really didn't want to upset her. While he enjoyed working alone, it was required of him to find a partner for this assignment, and Hermione WAS one of the best witches in their year.

"Okay," he responded.

"Great!" she exclaimed, and he watched as her face beamed at him with a wide smile. "Should we meet today after we finish all classes? In the common room?"

"That sounds good," said Harry.

"I'll see you later then," Hermione said and paused for a bit. "Are you okay?"

"W-what?" the question did startle him.

"I noticed that you didn't eat much today," she said then blushed. "I mean- I only noticed because you were sitting right in front of me. Not that I was staring at you or anything!"

He thought it was a bit endearing how she fumbled around and tried to justify her worry. He wasn't close with the girl, but she has always been nice and respectful towards him.

"I'm fine," he responded.

Silence fell around them and she turned away in disappointment.

"Thanks!" he blurted out which caused her to tense, turn to face him, smile, and leave.

He didn't know why he thanked her. He didn't like the attention but somehow it made him feel warm that someone asked him how he was doing.

Harry walked towards the lake to find a spot for him to sit and read his book while he waited for the next class to start, however he froze in shock at what he saw in front of him, mouth gaping wide open.

Draco Malfoy was on edge all day. He wanted to scream and punch someone. Everything was _frustrating _and he was on edge all day. It was bad enough that he hadn't slept the night before, and on top of that his godfather, Severus, shooed him out of the Potions Lab when he wanted to talk to him, claiming that he was going to be busy grading papers, and that if Draco needed anything he could come back later.

He made his way out of the school to go and find Blaise, sitting under a tree with his wand and books thrown around him.

Once his lover's eyes turned to him, Draco felt himself calm down. Blaise always had that effect on him.

He sat down and leaned against his boyfriend, locking his arms around Blaise's waist.

"I love you so much," muttered Draco with a sigh. He would never be able to explain how much he loved Blaise. Blaise was his whole life.

"I love you too, my beautiful snake," replied Blaise. "What happened?"

"I wanted to speak with Severus about Potter's condition," said Draco. "The least thing we can do is to tell one of the adults, and I know Severus would take this seriously and look into the whole matter, but he shooed me out without hearing a thing!"

Blaise chuckled as he noticed the pout on his lover's face.

"You will have the chance to speak with him again later," responded Blaise. He didn't want to discuss Potter anymore. He just wanted to spend a relaxing time with Draco while they both had the chance.

He pushed Draco to the ground to lay on his back and started kissing him softly, and when Draco started responding to the kiss, he deepened it. They started making out, hands running through both their bodies; teasing, pinching.

Draco groaned as one of his hands pulled on Blaise's hair. "Touch me," he commanded breathlessly.

Blaise complied and unzipped the other's pants and took his erection in his hand, softly tracing the whole thing with his fingers.

"Stop teasing me!" growled Draco which made Blaise smirk. He loved it when his boyfriend was so needy. It was rare for Draco to give him full control without a fight first. They always faught for control in their relationship which made it very hot in Blaise's opinion.

Just as he was about to give his boyfriend what he wanted, he heard a gasp, and turned his head to the noise immediately, ready to shield Draco away.

As his eyes locked with a rather shocked Gryffindor, he immediately pulled away from Draco, who had frozen in his place.

"S-sorry!" came Potter's squeak. "I-I didn't see anything. I'm sorry I disturbed you. I, uh, I was just looking for... for a place to read. Oh, Merlin! I'm sorry. I'm just going to go."

Blaise watched in amusement as Potter kept babbling. This was the first time the smaller boy has ever spoken to him and he found himself enjoying this. He liked that the other boy's attention was for once on him.

"Merlin!" he heard Draco curse. Draco had already zipped his pants and sat back up next to Blaise.

"I'm sorry again!" the Gryffindor blurted. "I'm just gonna go!"

As he turned away, Blaise heard Draco call out, "Potter, wait."

Potter froze on his spot and turned back.

"Y-" Draco tried to speak. "We... just... I..."

Blaise was amused by his boyfriend's reaction. Draco didn't stutter much and had always had a silver tongue that got him out of any awkward situation.

"What Draco is trying to say," he decided to step in and save his boyfriend, "is that it's not your fault you saw us in this situation. It's our fault, really. For even attempting to do this in the open."

He watched, fascinated, as both Draco's and Potter's faces turned red.

"With that being said," Blaise continued. "Please forgive us for putting you in this situation."

After an awkward silence, Potter walked off silently without responding.

"Well, this was weird," said Draco with a blank face then started laughing. "Merlin, you should've seen the look on your face, Blaise!"

"Oh yeah?" retorted Blaise with a smirk, "at least I wasn't the one who showed his junk to a Gryffindor."

"HEY!" shouted Draco as he slapped his boyfriend's arm.

Despite the embarrassment this situation caused him, Draco still felt happy somehow that he spoke with the boy he had his eyes on all these years. Potter had always been soft-spoken and Draco found it nice that for once, it was directed at him. That blush was also adorable! He tried to think of something else since he didn't want to think of Potter. What was the point of all this pining if he was never going to be his anyway? Draco was sure that once they perform the Bonding Ritual, him and Blaise would be declared mates. There was no doubt in his mind. It wasn't a possibility. Draco was happy and confident that Blaise was going to be his; but a small part of him always wanted the green-eyed boy to be his as well.

"Oh, before I forget," said Blaise, cutting Draco's thoughts. "I wanted to invite you to my mum's wedding."

"She's getting married again?" Draco asked in disbelief. "And when were you planning on telling me?"

"She sent me a letter yesterday," laughed Blaise. "You're my date, of course."

"As if anyone else would want to be your date knowing damn well that you're mine," smirked Draco.

Blaise huffed and laid down, his head resting on Draco's knees.

"You do know we have class soon, right?" Draco arched his eyebrow.

"Just for a bit."

Draco picked up his notebook and decided to read the notes he had written in class while his lover relaxed.

Harry Potter made his way to one of the corridors inside the school and sat on one of the benches, trying to calm his beating heart. He didn't mean to walk in on someone being THAT intimate; and on top of it all, it was the two Slytherins who always gave him lingering looks wherever he went.

After few minutes of him trying to calm himself down, he sat quietly and kept looking at the people as they were walking around. He was so glad that he would soon finish school and then he wouldn't have to deal with other people. He would probably get a normal, small job in the Muggle world and live his life peacefully. No one was going to control him anyone and he was going to do as he pleased. If he would have his way, he would spend the rest of his miserable life sleeping and never waking up or dealing with people. It was better that way. People didn't want to befriend him anyway. He was just a freak, and freaks shouldn't cause any troubles to anyone.

He took a look at his schedule just to double check and saw that he had Transfiguration along with the Ravenclaws this time. He liked that house. The students that belonged to it weren't as nosy as the rest and weren't as loud. On top of that, they focused on their studies and in addition, made wonderful study partners. Luna Lovegood was his favorite out of all the students. She was a bit weird and quirky, but she also respected his boundaries and never pried on his business. Not to mention, she always had something interesting to say.

His thoughts took him to his relatives and he wished he could stop thinking about them. He was away from them and knew that they would never give him a second thought, so why was he thinking about them now when he was away?

His Uncle Vernon was probably at work around this time. His Aunt Petunia would be either at one of the neighbors' houses gossiping or making a new kind of dessert. He felt a sudden pain in his abdomen and clenched his stomach's muscles tightly. He could hear as his stomach growled of hunger and tried to ignore it. He didn't have time to think about that. He needed to distract himself.

Harry picked up a book and started to read, only for his thoughts to wander once again.

What was going to happen after he performed the Bonding Ritual? Harry was worried. Who was even going to be his mate, and would the person even want him as a bonded? There was no way anyone would want someone like him, and he himself didn't want a mate as well. He wondered if he could get away from performing the ritual. Maybe if he pretended to be sick or something. But that would only give him maybe few days until he would be forced to perform it once again.

He scratched his arm; a habit that stuck with him for years. Everytime he was nervous, his right hand moved immediately to the left to scratch it. It was stupid but he couldn't control himself. Whoever turned out to be his mate was going to be disappointed. Harry felt disgusting. Nobody was ever going to love him. Was his mate in school? Was he or she even in the same age group as him? Maybe they were older and had a job and a family already. A loving home with a spouse and few children. Was he going to ruin someone's life? Maybe his mate wasn't even born yet. Harry would prefer that. At least then he would be left alone like he wanted to.

"Hi, Harry," a voice called, making him jump.

"Hi," Harry greeted.

Seamus sat next to him with a sigh.

"I just had a fight with Dean," Seamus blurted out. "It was so bad, Harry. He's refusing to talk to me now."

"Oh?" Harry questioned. He didn't want to sound nosy.

"Yeah," groaned Seamus. "It's all Lavender's fault. She asked me out and Dean got mad. Even though I said no! Can you believe how childish Dean is being?"

Harry stayed quiet. He didn't know why Seamus was telling him this. Maybe he just needed to vent to someone. The other boy knew that Harry wouldn't really give him any advice or opinion, just like the previous times this happened too. So why was he still trying to vent to him?

"I heard the headmaster talking to some of the professors today," said Seamus. "Apparently they plan to perform the ritual soon. It's all everyone in the school is talking about."

Harry groaned at that. He was already freaking out about the whole thing without Seamus worrying him even more and telling him that the ritual would be performed soon.

Glancing at Seamus from the corners of his eyes, he wondered who the other boy would be bonded to. He seemed really close to Dean despite their continuous bickering and fighting. The two boys spent most of their days together, so Harry wouldn't be surprised if they were mates. From what he could remember, his professor told them before that bonded mates were drawn to each other even before the bond. That is, if they had met before it. It was a pull that they couldn't ignore.

He tried thinking of a way out of the ritual again but couldn't come up with anything. Maybe he would ask Hermione when they met later that day. He had no doubt in his mind that she had learned all she could about it. He had seen her reading a bonding book before.

It was better that way. If he could get out of it then it would be better. He didn't deserve whatever love and comfort that could get out from the bond.

He stood up and walked away without a second glance at Seamus. He needed to get away. Harry decided to go to one of the bathrooms in the school, as he tried to hold his tears in place. The last thing he wanted was for someone to see him cry.

* * *

Hi guys. I hope you enjoy this re-write. I honestly prefer it than the first version which in my opinion was very fast paced. Let me know what you thought about it. And thanks for those who left reviews. It actually motivated me to write lol.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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Harry Potter felt miserable. After a whole day of going to classes, dealing with people, and doing homework, he was exhausted. All he wanted to do way go to sleep, but he couldn't even do that since he had promised Hermione that he would spend some time with her to work on their potions assignment.

He was currently in the Gryffindor's common room, sitting on the floor with Hermione sitting in front of him, books sprawled between them.

"I think we should start by figuring out what potion we are going to make," Hermione declared. "Once we set our minds on it, we should head to the library and read about it. We can start writing the first part of the report since we just have to explain the potion. After that, we'll gather the ingredients and brew the potion, then complete the rest of the report. What do you think?"

"Sounds good," responded Harry.

There was a list that Professor Snape had given them which contained several potions' names and they had to select one to brew. They hadn't learned any of these potions yet but Snape had a habit of giving them hard assignments.

"What about the Amortentia potion?" asked Hermione as she looked at the list.

"The love potion?" Harry crinkled his nose in disgust.

"Yes," responded Hermione. "I think it would be easier to brew, and we would find more information about it."

"Let's look through the list again first," said Harry, hoping to find another potion. He didn't want to mess around with the Amortentia potion. It was a dangerous potion and the last thing he wanted was to mess someone's life up.

"Hmmm," hummed Hermione as she concentrated on the list once again. "We can consider an Antidote for common poisons."

"Yes," he agreed quickly. "Let's do that."

"We have about half an hour until dinner starts," said Hermione. "Should we go to the library now or afterwards? I know it would definitely take us more than that to do our research."

"We can go after dinner," shrugged Harry. He felt a bit nervous since he had something to ask Hermione anyway, and now was his chance.

"Well, I think I'm going to change," she said as she moved to get up.

"Wait!" he said loudly, startling her.

"Yes?"

"I wanted to ask you something," Harry said nervously. "I have seen you read about the bonding ritual earlier so I was wondering if you could give me some information as well."

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed in excitement. "I can give you whatever information you need! I have been reading about it since last year. I'm a bit excited about it myself. I think Ron is going to be my mate," she blushed. "I mean, the books did say that mates would have some sort of relationship with each other before that and I've been dating Ron for two years now. What about you? Who do you think your mate is going to be?"

Malfoy's intense eyes and Zabini's face flashed in his mind and he found himself blushing furiously. He hated that he always thought about them. It was all their fault for always staring at him. He only started thinking about them once he noticed the staring.

"Knowing my luck, I think it would be someone I haven't even met," he admitted. He felt a bit relaxed around Hermione since she never judged him as much as the others did.

"Alright, I'm not sure what information you need exactly or if you know this already, but this is what I learned, " she said. "Basically once you perform the ritual, you will be identified as either a dominant or a submissive. You will feel some sort of link or pull towards your mate. Dominants can feel the pull more than submissives though. They will know the location of their submissives and they're expected to be the ones going after their mate and finding them. Submissives will also know if their mate is close to them or not."

"Oh," he responded. That wasn't something he knew about. "What if someone doesn't want to perform the ritual? Is there a way out?"

"I'm sure I can find a loophole somewhere," Hermione frowned. "But it's too dangerous. The last time that happened, it was a girl around 40 years ago who ran away to the Muggle world to escape the ritual. Her mate had performed the ritual and was identified as a submissive and he knew that he had a mate. He could feel her but because she didn't perform the ritual, he started getting weaker and sicker. Submissives need their mates to survive especially in the beginning. It would be highly dangerous and I don't think any submissive would survive that. Why do you ask?"

She looked at him suspiciously which made him gulp.

While Harry wanted a way out, he still didn't want to hurt someone. He didn't know whether he was going to be a dominant or a submissive. It was sometimes easy to know before the ritual with some people, but he didn't know about himself. He wasn't the meek type but he also wasn't a leader who took any charge.

"Forget about it," said Harry. "I just thought it's interesting to learn about the whole situation."

"Ron thinks I'm going to be a dominant," she said with slightly tinted cheeks. "He says I'm too bossy."

Harry had to smile at that. The girl in front of him WAS a bossy witch.

"Should we go to the dining hall? I'm sure Ron and the rest are there now," Hermione asked.

"You go," he told her. "I'm not that hungry."

"Okay, if you're sure," she said, standing up. "I'll see you after dinner. We'll meet here then head to the library together!"

She walked away after gathering her books.

Harry sighed and looked around the common room. There were three other people in there and he could see that they were studying together. He rested his head on the couch behind him and stared at the ceiling. He felt hungry but he wasn't in the mood to go and eat. It wasn't like anything would happen if he hadn't eaten. After all, he did have some breakfast earlier that day. Part of him wished that Hermione forced him to go with her. It would be nice if someone actually cared.

Draco Malfoy was scowling at Marcus Flint. Marcus was responsible for leading all the Quidditch training and he was always a pain in the ass. Draco felt so tired and sore already, and Marcus still had the audacity to yell at them that they were incompetent and needed to do better. He wished he could hex the taller boy but he knew better than to cause problems with him. If Marcus hated him for whatever reason, Draco knew he would be out of the team.

"Now get lost," ordered Marcus after he sent a glare at each one of them.

Draco kept his face neutral until he faced the other way and growled. If it was any other person than Marcus, he would've made them regret it already.

He made his way to the changing room and decided to take a quick shower. They still had some time before dinner and he was starving. After this harsh training, he deserved to have a feast made just for him.

He glanced at Adrian Pucey who was naked from the waist up, and was rummaging through his own locker. The boy did have a nice body, and Draco's eyes usually lingered on him after every practice. He knew Adrian was doing this on purpose since he had caught Draco staring several times. Maybe the other boy just enjoyed the attention. Draco didn't care much.

He shut his locker and went to take a shower.

Draco's thoughts took him to his mother who he hadn't heard from for a whole week now. It was concerning since she usually sent him a letter every few days. Maybe she was busy, or maybe she was even sick. Draco made a note to send his mother a letter to ask if there's anything wrong. At least his father was home so if there was anything wrong, he would take care of his mother.

He smiled as he remembered his mother. She was the only woman he truly loved and cared for. His mother was sweet and gentle, lovely and respected other people, and she was fond of Blaise. He didn't know how Blaise had won his mother over, but his mother would always send some gifts to Blaise whenever she sent any to Draco. When Blaise would visit their home, she made sure that everything was perfect. She treated him almost as she treated Draco, and Draco couldn't appreciate her more.

Stomach growling, he hurried his shower so that he could go and eat.

Once he was out of the showers and dressed, he made his way to the dining hall.

He smiled as he spotted his lover who had saved a seat for him next to him.

"Hi," greeted Draco with a kiss to Blaise's cheek.

He couldn't help but glance towards the Gryffindor table and was disappointed when he saw the object of his thought was missing.

"How was practice?" asked Blaise. The food still hadn't appeared. Draco was actually impressed with himself for being early. That was the quickest shower he had ever taken.

"Marcus was being his usual self," grumbled Draco. "But it was good."

His boyfriend flashed him a smile then turned his head to the other side to speak with Pansy.

Draco waited patiently for the food to appear. It was taking too long and he was starving. He hoped after the conversation he had with his godfather earlier that day, that the man was going to do something to help. Knowing his godfather, he knew he would try his best.

/flashback/

Once the first years left the potions lab, Draco immediately strode inside, catching his godfather by surprise.

"Draco," scowled his godfather. "What do you need now?"

"I want to speak with you and it's urgent," declared Draco. "And you can't postpone this."

"What in Merlin's name do you want?" asked the man with a raised brow. "You have been stalking me all day already."

Draco felt his cheeks burn at that.

"I wasn't stalking you!" he tried to defend himself. "I have something that I need to share with you."

"Sit," his godfather instructed.

Draco pulled a chair from one of the tables and dragged it to Severus' table so that he could sit face to face with him.

"There's this student..." he trailed off. Now that he was having the discussion with his godfather, he didn't know what to say. He hadn't practiced how this was going to be.

"And?"

"I think he's being bullied or something!" Draco blurted out without thinking, then cursed under his breath, "No, uh...not bullied bullied. I just think that there's something going on. Something wrong."

"What in Salazar's name are you talking about?" Severus asked. "Explain to me from the beginning."

"Well," Draco cleared his throat, still unsure of what to say. "I've been keeping an eye on another guy for a while now."

His godfather snorted.

"I started noticing some concerning behaviors," he tried to explain. "For starters, he barely eats anything. He seems jumpy at times when there are loud noises."

He went quiet after that.

"Have you considered the fact that he might just not be hungry?" Severus asked. "And everyone gets jumpy at loud noises."

"NO!" Draco shouted, frustrated at himself for not being to explain and frustrated at his godfather for not listening. "There are other things."

"Go on," his godfather sighed.

"He seems to be tired constantly," he started again. "There are dark circles around his eyes. He doesn't seem to have any friends. It all actually changed few years ago. He was really active and loud and had so many friends, but after coming back from summer break, it was like something had broken in him. He... I don't know how to explain it, Severus. Please just help him. I know that there's something going on. My gut is telling me that there's something bad happening to him and I don't know what to do."

Severus frowned and stayed quiet for a while. He tried to think of any Slytherin that appeared distant or had any behavior that could indicate anything, but he couldn't think of anyone. All his snakes appeared normal. Some of them were quieter than the rest, but it was still normal.

"Who are you referring to?" asked Severus.

"It's Potter."

"Potter?" frowned Severus and then tried to remember anything that might raise red flags when it came to the Potter boy. Sure, the boy was very quiet and actually looked like he was having trouble falling asleep since he constantly looked as if he was tired. Severus never really paid much attention to the Gryffindor.

"Draco," sighed Severus. "I don't know if what you told me would lead to anything. I personally don't think that Potter is being bullied. I can't promise you anything but since you're concerned about him, I will look into it. I will speak with Potter and some of the other Professors and will keep an eye on him."

"Really?" asked Draco in disbelief.

"And don't worry," his godfather added. "If there's actually something going on, I will take care of it."

/end of flashback/

Draco was actually disappointed by the talk he had with his godfather. It didn't go as smoothly as he hoped it would, and he didn't manage to convince and convey his worry as he had hoped. He was still glad that Severus was going to at least investigate the matter and see if there was anything wrong. Draco truly hoped that the man would be able to help the lion. He hated seeing him in that state.

"DRACO!" a voice called out and made him jump.

He turned his head towards Pansy and hissed, "What the hell, Pansy!"

"I've been calling you for a while now," she said.

"Well? What do you want?"

"We're thinking of going to Hogsmead this weekend," said Pansy. "Blaise is tagging along so you might as well come with us."

"Thanks for the invite," Draco drawled.

Despite his annoyance towards her, he still liked to go to Hogsmead. It was his favorite thing to do during school. Going there and hanging out with his friends was always fun. Especially now that he was 17 and able to drink.

The food suddenly appeared on the tables and everyone started filling out their own plates.

Draco filled his own plate and started eating since he was so hungry. After few bites, he couldn't help but glance at the Gryffindor table only to avert his gaze with disappointment once again.

"This is like the fifth time you look that way," said Blaise with amusement.

"I did not!" replied Draco defensively.

"You are absolutely adorable when you blush," his boyfriend chuckled.

"Take that back, Blaise!" a horrified Draco said. "Malfoys don't blush."

His lover leaned in to whisper in his ears. "I can't wait until the bond declares to the whole world that you're mine."

Draco's eyes went wide and this time he couldn't deny the blush that crept up to his face. He couldn't wait to be Blaise's and Blaise to be his.

"Blaise if you don't stop this, I'm going to pound you in front of everyone right here right now," Promised Draco.

His boyfriend simply laughed at that.

The next day, Harry woke up from sleep and the first thing he noticed was how cold the room was. Despite that, he felt the sweat on his forehead. His heart was beating fast and he couldn't focus much on what was happening around him. He felt disgusted by the sweat and as he moved his hand to wipe the sweat off, he was shocked to learn that he couldn't move his hand. His eyes opened wide in shock at the realization of what was happening to him. Again.

'Please, no,' Harry's mind begged. 'Not again.'

He tried to open his mouth but he couldn't. Maybe if he moved his tongue around then he would have some control over his body, but he found that useless as well. His heart started beating faster and he felt a familiar prickle of feat enter his heart. Sleep Paralysis was something that he had been suffering from for a while now. He tried to focus on himself instead of his surroundings. He was sleeping on his back and he immediately cursed himself for doing so. He knew that sleeping on his back usually summoned this paralysis.

Harry was startled by the sudden chill in the air, and he moved his eyes around, trying to see what was happening around him while he couldn't move any inch of his body. He saw a shadow standing by the foot of the bed. He couldn't see a face or any details of its skin, but somehow he knew that it was an old woman.

While he didn't move at all from his spot, he was still freaking out from the inside. He was shouting and yelling and screaming and begging for this to stop, but there was no point. He was stuck there with the woman.

The woman decided to move and Harry watched as she sat next to his feet, looking away from the bed. He thought about a red-haired woman and wished that she was there to protect him. He remembered a picture he saw of his father, and wished that his father was still alive to shield him from this horror he was living.

The old woman suddenly looked at him, and Harry felt as if his soul jumped out of his body. He tried to move around but couldn't. He tried to say something but couldn't. He tried to command his body to listen to him but he couldn't.

He focused all his energy on his left leg, which the woman sat next to. He begged his leg, 'please. Please. Come on. I can do this. Oh God. Oh Merlin. She's going to touch me. No no no no no no no.'

As he freaked out, he didn't know how he managed to move his leg and kick the woman as hard as he could.

He opened his eyes suddenly and was panting from exhaustion. It was just a dream. It wasn't real.

Harry noticed that he was actually sleeping on his left side instead of his back, and he moved his body and tongue around to ensure that this time he was actually awake. There was no way he was going back to sleep now. He knew the sleep paralysis would come back again if he did so.

He pulled himself up and hugged his knees as he waited for his breathing to even out. He hated having sleep paralysis. It was always scary. That was the reason he usually stayed awake as much as possible, fearing that it might happen.

He could feel the sweat on his skin. He peeked outside of his bed curtains and saw that the other boys were still sleeping. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was 5:30 am. Well, there was no way he would go to sleep now so he went to the bathroom and took a long shower.

As he was showering, he kept glancing behind his back to ensure that he was alone and that there was no danger around, be it from people or unknown entities. He hated that. Hated being scared.

After showering, he saw that it was already 6:30 am. There was still half an hour left of the time his roommates usually woke up, so he decided to go out for a walk.

As he made his way out of the dormitory and walked around the corridors, he was startled when someone called out, "Potter!"

He jumped at the sudden noise and turned around quickly with his wand in hand, only to see that it was Malfoy.

He felt foolish and dropped his wand hand down and mumbled a hello.

"What are you doing here in this hour?" questioned Malfoy. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," responded Harry. "Just going for a walk."

"Do you mind if I tag along?" asked the blonde.

Harry felt uncomfortable being this close to Malfoy. His heart was already beating faster than usual and part of him was happy.

"I don't mind," said Harry while dropping his gaze to the ground.

"I also couldn't sleep," Malfoy said as they were walking.

"Hmm?" questioned Harry.

"I've been so worried about the upcoming ritual," admitted the Slytherin. "What about you? Why are you awake at this hour? Did something happen? Did SOMEONE do something to you?"

Harry was surprised by the sudden interrogation. What was Malfoy implying?

"Nothing like that," Harry defended himself. "I just woke up earlier than usual."

"Are you sure you're alright?" asked Malfoy.

Why were people always asking him that?

"I'm fine!" snapped Harry. After a pause, he added, "I'm sorry I snapped. It's just... I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep."

"No problem" responded Malfoy. "I shouldn't have overstepped your boundaries."

Somehow, Harry didn't mind. It was nice for a stranger to be concerned about him.

"It's okay," said Harry softly.

"Do you always go out for a walk at this hour?" asked Malfoy as they stepped outside of the castle. The air was cold and Harry shivered. He hadn't worn his cloak.

"Not always," admitted Harry. "Just when I can't sleep and need some fresh air."

He was surprised when the other boy hummed, took off his cloak, and draped it over Harry's shoulders.

"W-what?" Harry stuttered in surprise and confusion.

"It's very cold. Wouldn't want you to get sick or something," smirked the Slytherin.

"Th-thank you, Malfoy," said Harry as he looked at the ground with a blush.

"It's Draco."

"Huh?"

"My name," said Malfoy, "It's Draco. You can call me Draco."

"You can also call me Harry then," said Harry with a smile.

"You have a lovely smile," stated Draco.

Harry couldn't help the blush that darkened. Was Malf- Draco flirting with him? Didn't he already have a boyfriend though?

He looked around and observed the few early-risers that were hanging out outside the castle as well. Students weren't allowed out of the castle before 6:00 am. A girl was sitting under a tree with her wand out, practicing her magic with several objects sprawled around her. A boy and a girl were standing next to the castle wall holding hands. There was a group of four Hufflepuffs giggling and whispering to each other. He could see Hagrid walking towards the castle as well, and there was a cat sleeping very close to him.

It was quieter than usual since most of the students and teachers were still resting. Harry truly enjoyed these moments.

He glanced at Draco from the corners of his eyes, hoping that he wouldn't be caught staring. The taller boy was definitely handsome and Harry had always thought that he had the most amazing eyes he had ever seen. He gulped and looked in front of him instead. While Draco looked very neat, Harry knew that he looked horrible. Not only was his hair sticking out at random angles, he knew he was too ugly to even be looked at. The Slytherin was probably regretting coming along with him. Why would he not?

"The weather is so nice," stated Draco as he took a deep breath.

Harry didn't really have anything to add so he stayed silent. Maybe today wasn't going to be so bad after all.

* * *

Thank you for leaving comments. I appreciate it! Hope you like this chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

Blaise Zabini looked around the common room and frowned. Where did Draco go? He woke up and didn't see his boyfriend in bed, checked the bathrooms and the common areas but still there was no sign of his snake. He knew that Draco was probably alright since for some reason he always felt it whenever Draco was in any kind of physical danger, so he didn't worry about it. Still though. Where DID his boyfriend sneak off to very early in the day? There were already several people in the common room since people were starting to wake up and get ready for classes.

He sighed and decided to change into his uniform before going out to find him. He saw Crabbe standing in the middle of their shared room, looking confused.

"You alright there, Crabbe?" he called out quietly. Others were still sleeping and he didn't want to wake them up.

"Hng," replied Crabbe before looking around the room once again. "I can't find my robe."

"I'm sure you will find it," responded Blaise. "Do you need help looking for it?"

"No, no," responded Crabbe, already searching through his trunk.

Blaise shrugged and grabbed his first class book and headed outside the Slytherin Dormitory.

He cast a spell that would point him towards Draco and followed after the path that was visible to him. What was Draco doing OUTSIDE the walls of the castle? He wasn't usually a morning person and didn't go out except rarely. What was going on?

He followed the path slowly until he could see the blond hair in his view. There was someone else with his lover. He tried to focus his view and saw that Draco was holding hands with... Potter? Since when were these two close? Blaise could've sworn that Draco had never spoke with the Gryffindor before.

Blaise walked over to them and cleared his throat.

Draco turned around to see him, and Potter jumped.

He could see the startled look on Potter's face before he snatched his hand from Draco's grasp and ran off.

Both him and Draco stayed silent for a moment.

"What was that about?" asked a frowning Blaise.

"Blaise, I'm going to kill you," Draco gritted his teeth.

Blaise raised his eyebrow in response and waited for an explanation.

"I woke up very early today and decided to go and find something to eat," sighed Draco. "But I saw Harry on my way and offered to go out for a walk with him. Merlin, Blaise, you should've seen the way he blushed around and spoke softly. It was like talking to an angel."

Blaise tried to suppress the spark of jealousy he felt. He didn't know what he was jealous of. Of Potter for having Draco's attention like this, or of Draco for talking to Potter when he hadn't done so himself.

"You're not dumping me for him, are you?" he narrowed his eyes at his lover.

Draco's face was full of shock as he pulled Blaise for a deep kiss.

"I would never, in my entire life, choose someone over you," promised Draco breathlessly. "I love you, Blaise.'

"Then what was all of this about?"

"I don't know," admitted Draco. "You would do the same thing if you were in my position!" he tried to defend himself. "I KNOW you wouldn't miss a chance to talk to him."

Blaise watched his lover huff, and he couldn't help but laugh. He was right. If he had the chance to actually have a conversation AND hold hands with the Gryffindor, he wouldn't let it go.

"So," he started. "Holding hands?"

Draco cleared his throat. "I grabbed his hand since it was cold."

"Sure," laughed Blaise. Draco always pretended to be cold just to hold his hand. The blond didn't like to admit it though so he didn't say anything. He should be mad at the fact that his lover was holding hands with someone else, but he didn't mind it if it was the Gryffindor.

He looked over Draco and noticed that he wasn't wearing any cloak so he took off his own and draped it over his shoulders.

"HEY!" protested Draco.

"Hush, Draco," chided Blaise. "Maybe if you wore warm clothes then you wouldn't be so cold to the point where you had to hold hands with another."

Draco blushed and mumbled something under his breath which Blaise couldn't hear.

He snorted and started walking inside with his boyfriend trailing after him.

Blaise didn't want to admit it but he was still worried about the ritual that they had to perform soon. They hadn't been given a specific date and he knew that this was the normal process in all schools. They never gave the dates to students and Blaise couldn't understand why. Wouldn't it be better to know when your life was about to change, instead of being surprised one day by entering a class and being told that you had to perform it now?

He sighed and looked back at his boyfriend who was scowling at a couple of Gryffindors. It was amusing really; how Draco always found himself in fights with the other houses. These people would never get to see his beautiful smile and his tinted cheeks when he was being shy. All they saw was his glare and the curses he threw at them.

If Blaise was more honest with his feelings, he would admit that the ritual worried him more than he let out. He loved Draco dearly and the bigger part of him knew that they would end up together; but thinking hard about it, he saw how similar him and Draco were. They were both possessive and the jealous type. They both liked to take control and take care of the other person. They had often found themselves fighting over simple things whenever they had different opinions. Both of them didn't want to be a burden to the other, and Blaise knew that Draco would never be a burden to him. While he didn't want to change anything in his lover, he still wished Draco was more needy and allowed him to take care of him.

That was what scared Blaise the most. What if the ritual declared that they weren't meant to be together? That they were both so similar and needed other mates? Blaise knew he would never love another person the way he loved Draco. Draco was his entire life. The smaller part of his brain was terrified at the idea of losing him. If that ever happened, Blaise wasn't sure that he could survive without the other male.

They made their way to the dining hall and found that breakfast had been served already.

Blaise sat in silence eating his breakfast while Draco chatted with some other Slytherins. The mornings were usually hard on Blaise and he didn't like interacting with others at such an early time, except maybe Draco.

He felt the need to look towards the Gryffindor table once again and cursed himself for always doing that. He was still not sure why him and Draco always did that. The raven-haired boy was just too small and looked weak and in need of protection. Blaise knew that he would definitely be a dominant and was also almost sure that his boyfriend would be one as well. Maybe that was it. Maybe it was because they were both dominants and they were certain the Gryffindor would be a submissive. A submissive in need would trigger their protective urges so maybe that was it. It was weird how they didn't have this urge towards other people though.

What he saw surprised him. Potter for once was actually looking their way, at Draco. When he felt eyes on him, Potter looked at Blaise and turned a dark shade of red with wide eyes. Blaise couldn't help but send a smile. That was the first time he ever smiled at the younger boy. Potter in return sent a shy smile at him then ducked his head to his food. Blaise's eyes followed him and saw that the Gryffindor was actually eating now, so he refocused his attention back to his own food, trying to ignore his beating heart.

Harry Potter found himself actually humming later that evening. Despite waking up in fear and self-loathing, his day actually went great. He had spoken with Malfoy and spent a nice time with him, and Malfoy's boyfriend even smiled at him. He didn't know why they were always looking at him but after Malfoy's chat with him, he was a bit glad. Maybe they wanted to be his friends and while Harry liked to stay alone most of the time, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to get to know the two of them.

On top of that, him and Hermione had worked on their research part of the potions assignment and were able to take down notes and make a list of all the ingredients they would need to make it. They had decided to take a break for the day and continue working tomorrow. Now that they had all the notes they needed, they could start the writing part of the assignment.

"Hey, Harry!" he heard Ron Weasley and saw him approaching his bed.

He tried to fight off the groan that wanted to escape his lips. While he didn't dislike Ron, the other guy was always too talkative and didn't have a sense of personal boundaries. He would often put his arms over Harry's shoulders and get too close to him. It was uncomfortable but Harry couldn't blame the guy. He never once told Ron to back off or explained how uncomfortable he made him.

"Did you hear the news?" asked Ron as he sat on Harry's bed, facing him.

"What news?" Harry asked in return.

"Apparently the defense against the dark arts professor had an accident," said Ron.

Harry had to roll his eyes at that. It was no secret that that position brought bad luck on those who had it. He was certain that it was cursed in some way. How else could anyone explain the yearly accidents the professors had? Every year they had a new professor.

"We're going to get a new professor," continued Ron. "Sirius Black. Another dark family if you ask me."

Harry paused at that. Sirius Black. From what he was told, the man was friends with his father back when they were still in school. Professor Snape had always made rude comments about Harry's father and Black whenever he was snapping at Harry, telling him how useless and pathetic he was just like them.

He felt as if there were butterflies in his stomach. Maybe he would learn more about his father from this man. Maybe he would even gain a new family. He shook these thoughts from his head and sighed. Even if the man knew his father, he wouldn't want any kind of relationship with Harry. He was useless and pathetic, just as Professor Snape kept reminding him. He was sure no one wanted to be his family anyway. Even his own family hated him.

"How was 'Mione when you two spent some time together today?" asked Ron nervously.

"You're still fighting?" asked Harry in surprise. He didn't want to pry on other people's business but these two had been fighting for a while now.

"Well, not really fighting," said Ron with a blush. "She's just not talking to me. I did something stupid."

"She was fine," answered Harry honestly. "At least she seemed fine."

"Ah, that's good," said the ginger. "Can you just keep an eye on her? In case someone bothers her or she gets upset or hurt. Will you let me know?"

"Of course," drawled Harry.

He couldn't help the spike of jealousy that coursed through him. He wished he had someone who cared about him and loved him the way Ron loved Hermione. The other boy had both parents and several siblings who he was close with. He had multiple friends and was always surrounded by them. He was in the Quidditch team and was popular amongst the Gryffindors. And he also had a girlfriend who he was in love with, and Harry could tell she was in love with him as well. He tried to push the jealousy down. It was all his own fault for being alone anyway. He pushed people away. He preferred to be alone. Everything was his fault.

"Well, I'm going to take a shower before bed," said Ron as he stood up and stretched. "I can't believe we still have the common room curfew at 9:30 pm. We're in our last year, for Godric's sake; and yet we still have the same curfew time as the first years."

Harry felt amused as he saw the other boy walk away. Ron always had something to complain about and he never seemed to mind Harry's lack of response, which Harry appreciated greatly.

He laid down on the bed and listened to his roommates who were talking to each other. Neville was actually packing his things and claiming that once the ritual was completed, most of them would be moving to new quarters anyway. Harry had to hold back his tongue from telling him that he might not even have a mate at this point in time.

He remembered his conversation with Hermione about the bond. It seemed that if two people were bonded from the same school, they would be moving to their quarters within the school. If a dominant was bonded with another from a different location, his or her submissive would move with them and continue their education here if they were still in school. If their mate was a dominant, then they would work out the same thing. One of them would be relocated. Harry also learned that if the mate was older, then the student would be living with them while still attending school. It was good for the ones who had younger mates though since their bond wouldn't really start forming completely until they age. That meant they had to stay where they were and lead a normal life until that happened.

Harry shut the drapes of his bed and closed his eyes hoping to fall asleep soon. He wasn't tired so he knew it would be ages until he fell asleep, but the faster he falls asleep the less chances he would have any nightmares. He knew by now that whenever he slept early, the nightmares and sleep paralysis didn't appear as often as they did when he slept late.

After what seemed like an eternity, he was still awake and so was someone else in the room. He could hear them shuffling around, huffing, and talking under their breath. He moved the drapes and saw Neville muttering to himself and standing in the middle of the room.

The other boy seemed to notice him and he stopped what he was doing to look at Harry.

"Sorry, mate," apologized Neville. "Did I wake you?"

"I wasn't sleeping anyway," confessed Harry. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," said the bigger boy. "Just nervous, is all."

"Oh?"

"My grandma," he explained. "She sent me another bloody letter screaming and shouting as usual. Makes me nervous, you know? That woman would be the death of me."

Harry had heard Neville talk about his grandmother before. He had also heard her own screaming whenever she sent him a letter. Heck, the whole school heard it by now. The woman was vile and disgusting just as his own relatives.

He hoped Neville would be able to be independent and live away from her at some point but knowing the Pureblood history, he knew that would never happen. She was the head of the house and he was the only grandson therefore he had to live with her until he produced several heirs to expand the family.

Severus Snape scowled and threw the ball of paper on the ground. He wasn't in a good mood and it was all the headmaster's fault. He didn't know why he was selected to guide the students to perform the bonding ritual this year. The task was long and tedious, not to mention the annoying brats' reactions to it. So many of them would throw a fit and a temper tantrum when they didn't get what they wanted, and Severus didn't want to deal with these moody hormonal kids. The only one he was actually looking forward to assist with his godson.

He looked down at the list of students and decided to go with the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins first. The list of students was shorter than the other two houses and he would be able to get rid of so many of them faster. From his observations all these years, he also knew that these two houses caused the least of troubles. They didn't throw fits like the other two houses so it might be more peaceful to deal with them first.

He sighed as he saw Potter's name. From what Draco told him and what he saw himself, he suspected that the boy had some sort of problem but he wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it wasn't as big of a deal as Draco thought, but Severus still decided to investigate the issue just to ensure that nothing was happening. While it was true that he hated the boy's father and maybe even hated the boy himself because of the constant reminder of the bullying he encountered when he was still in school, he still couldn't bring himself to ignore what Draco had said. No one deserved to be put in that kind of situation, and Severus of all people understood that.

Looking at the list made him uneasy. It wasn't just the fact that he had to assist these brats with their rituals, but the fact that he himself didn't have a mate yet. Every year he had hoped that his mate would be one of the people who were performing the ritual but so far he hadn't had any luck. He knew that he did have a mate somewhere out there; he started feeling it years ago, but whoever it was, they were still too young.

He traced fingers over his cheek and gulped. Would his mate even want him when he was already too old? He wasn't young anymore and of course if someone was to have bad luck, it was him. It was bad enough when his best friend and crush, Lily Evans, was proclaimed as James Potter's mate. Severus wanted the girl ever since they were children, playing in the park. All that didn't matter anymore. Maybe this year he would finally get his mate. Maybe he would find someone who would love him for who he was, and understand the person he was under all that hard exterior.

A knocking on the door disturbed his thoughts.

"Come in," he called out.

He saw Argus Filch and couldn't help but glare at him. The caretaker was one of the people he disliked. Well, not that he liked many people anyway.

"What do you want, Filch?" he asked, not inviting him to sit.

"A birdie told me that some of your bats are sneaking around the halls," Filch said with a smile. "Now, I'll be sure to get them to Dumbledore once I find the little sneaks."

Severus scowled at that. He knew Filch was giving him a heads up and warning him since they had a deal that Filch would go to him at any sign of trouble for his Slytherins, and in return, he would give the man the pain potion he was addicted to.

"Come and fetch your payment tomorrow," he said, standing up.

He exited the room without looking back at Filch. It was time for him to capture these rouge Slytherins.

Draco Malfoy didn't really like eating in bed. It was barbaric and disgusting in his opinion, so all he could do was scowl as he watched his roommate, Theodor Nott, eat grapes on his bed. The other boy had noticed the glaring as well since he smirked and started making slurping sounds just to annoy the blond.

"Would you knock it off!" growled Draco.

"Nope," smiled Nott innocently.

"You're so annoying," huffed Draco.

"What are you going to do about it?"

The brat was teasing him and all Draco wanted to do was smack him on the face. While Theo had always been bratty, Draco had no doubt the other boy would be a submissive. A bratty submissive at that. They were the worst kind in Draco's eyes. Still, despite Theo being annoying, Draco did like him and had always appreciated their friendship.

When Theo got out of bed, Draco couldn't help but ask.

"Where are you going?"

"The common room," answered Theo.

"Common room at this time? Why?" Asked Draco suspiciously.

"Probably sneaking off with Pansy again," said Blaise from his bed.

"Wait," said Draco. "You and Pansy? Since when? Merlin, you two ARE sneaky."

"It's not like that!" defended Theo. "If you must know, we're covering for each other. We're both dating some Ravenclaws but you can't tell anyone about this. If anyone finds out, I'll know it's you two."

"Ironic how you assume I care that much about this to the point where I'd blab around about it," responded Draco while rolling his eyes.

People had always assumed that Draco was shallow, but he didn't really care about their dating lives. It was none of his business and frankly, he wouldn't waste his precious time thinking about who was dating who. He looked at Blaise who was lying down on his bed and couldn't help but shift in his place. His boyfriend looked so hot at that moment.

Thinking about his mother again, he got up to one of the tables and decided to write her a letter.

/letter/

Dear Mother,

How have your health been? I'm writing to you since I'm extremely worried about you and your health. I hope you're alright. Please update me on what is going on with you. Have you seen a healer yet? What did they say? I ask you to please not lie to me just because you think it will comfort me to know that you're well and healthy. While it is true that it will comfort me, I still want to know the truth. Let me know how father is doing as well.

Severus informed me that the bonding ritual is going to happen any day this week. I'm very nervous and excited at the same time. I know Blaise is going to be my bonded and you know how I feel about him. I just can't wait for him to be mine and for me to be his for the rest of our lives. Is this the same way you felt about father before the bond? Severus told me that you two were dating. I'd love to hear more about it.

I also heard from father that you acquired three new house-elves. Are they faring well in the house? I hope they don't cause too much trouble for you. Dobby is already so feisty and I'm sure you don't need more headaches.

Pansy is throwing a party for her 18th birthday in few weeks and has invited me. It will be at their mansion in Italy. You and father are also invited. I'm sure the invitation letter would arrive any time soon. Just giving you a heads up.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you, mother.

With all my love,

Draco

/end letter/

Once he completed writing the letter, he placed it in his desk. He would send the letter first thing in the morning since the curfew had begun and he couldn't leave the dormitory.

The next morning, Draco sent his owl to deliver the letter and made his back to the common room. The Perfects had instructed them to be in the common room. He found his boyfriend sitting on the couch and slid down next to him.

"Good morning, love," said Draco while giving Blaise a soft kiss.

"Morning," responded Blaise. "I woke up and didn't find you. Where were you?"

"I had to deliver a letter to mother," admitted Draco. "What do you think all of this is about? This meeting?"

"Professor Snape wants to have a word with us," said Blaise.

Just when Draco was about to talk, the door banged open with an angry Snape strolling inside, two younger Slytherins looking guilty in tow.

"YOU!" he barked at the two Perfects who jumped to their feet. "When you were assigned to be Perfects, you were expected to keep an eye on all these stunts Slytherins do and make sure they stay out of trouble."

"Sir, I-" the female Perfect started before she was cut off by Snape again.

"I already dealt with these two myself for sneaking around the castle grounds while it was curfew, but I DON'T want this to happen again," he growled. "If this happens again, I'm not just punishing them. I'm punishing you two as well."

He turned towards the two shaking young Slytherins and shouted, "now get the hell out of here and go to your classes."

The two boys didn't need to be told twice. They ran off immediately without saying a word.

"Keep a better eye on the first years," Snape ordered. "You know how cocky they can get."

"Yes, sir!" the two Perfects responded.

"Let's begin then," said Severus with a sigh to calm himself down. "The ritual will begin today with you and the Hufflepuffs. They will start before you and once they're done, your turn will start."

That caused commotion in the room and everyone started talking over each other.

"ENOUGH!" he snapped at them. "You are all already prepared for it so I don't want to see any of you acting like a spoiled child when they don't get what they wanted. You will all remain calm and not embarrass our House, the same way the previous generations did not. Now, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the results, you will wait until you are back to the dormitory and discuss them with your Perfects who will help you in return. If they think the matter or issue needs an adult, they will come and collect me. Any questions?"

"When will we begin the ritual?" asked a student.

"Now," replied Severus. "I will start with the Hufflepuffs but you will be present in the room as well."

"When will we have the chance to speak with our parents? My parents want to visit me as soon as possible."

"Once your results are out, a copy will be sent to your guardians," said Severus. "And once all houses are completed, you will get the chance to request a meeting with your family."

"Is it mandatory to have a meeting with our parents?" asked another. "My family is a bit busy at the moment and a copy of the results will be enough for now."

"It's not mandatory," responded Severus. "Enough questions for now. Follow me."

With that, Severus moved out of the dormitory, followed by the students.

Draco held Blaise's hand as they walked. The anticipation, excitement, and fear were eating him alive. He couldn't imagine a future where Blaise wasn't in it. He hoped that Blaise would be his second half.

* * *

Thank you for leaving lovely comments and reading the chapter. What do you think so far? :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

Draco sat on his chair with his leg bouncing up and down. He was nervous and couldn't wait for the whole thing to be over with. While the Slytherins were all seated on their chairs, the Hufflepuffs were still arriving. Draco wanted to curse them for being so slow. Didn't they want the ritual to be over with already? His boyfriend was sitting next to him and while he didn't look nervous, Draco knew that it was just a façade. Blaise was sitting with both hands over his knees, and Draco knew that it was a nervous tick for the taller boy. It was easier for Blaise to control his emotions; much better than Draco ever could.

After what seemed like an eternity, all the students were seated on the chairs that were placed in the back of the room, and Severus walked in, silencing all those who were talking.

"We will begin now," the Potions Master declared. "While we're performing the ritual, I want complete silence. You don't utter a word if it isn't your turn. You will get the chance to speak once everyone is done."

He looked at each one of them with a glare which made them fidget nervously.

"Despite what you've been told, the ritual is actually very simple," he explained. "All we need is a piece of your hair, as well as some blood. In the back you will see several small cauldrons and, on the side, there are potions. Each one of you will grab a potion and a cauldron. When your name is being called, you will bring both with you to my table so we can start. While you will be getting your results immediately, the ritual will only take effect an hour after it has been performed."

The students rushed to get their cauldrons and potions, and Draco almost stumbled at all the pulling and pushing the others were doing. He was surprised when he saw Blaise in front of him, smiling and handing him a cauldron and a potion. He couldn't help but smile in appreciation. He didn't dare to speak just yet.

Once they were all back on their seats, Severus cleared his throat.

"Let's not waste any time, and begin," he said. "Susan Bones."

Hearing her name being called, Susan Bones strode to the front.

Draco could see that the girl was shaking. This was the moment that her life was going to be determined and changed forever. She would get her place in society and told what the future laid for her. He tried his best to focus and watched as his godfather had instructed her to place the cauldron on the table, handed her a scissor to cut a piece of her hair, and she threw it in the cauldron. Once that was done, he held up a knife which made her take a step back in fear.

"Don't worry, Ms. Bones," drawled Severus. "This will not hurt. I'm only going to prick your finger. You will be healed once everything is done."

"Yes, sir," the girl nodded and held her hand out.

His godfather held the girl's hand firmly and pricked her finger which made her gasp in surprise. He guided her hand over the cauldron and made sure few drops of her blood were released inside. He then handed her the potion and informed her to spill it in the cauldron.

Once she was done with that, he handed her a piece of paper.

"Read the spell and then blow in the cauldron," instructed Severus.

Draco tried his best to listen to the spell but somehow he wasn't able to. He looked at his boyfriend who had a frown on his face. Other students also looked confused but they all remained quiet, afraid of angering their professor.

When the girl blew in the cauldron, there was a collective gasps from several of them, and even Susan Bones herself took few steps back as she watched the cauldron sizzle, a green liquid started dripping from it, and there was some smoke.

"Good job," said Severus who waited for few seconds before the smoke died down, and peered inside the cauldron. "Come take a look."

The girl peered at the cauldron and gasped once again.

"Wh-what?" she stuttered. "Where did the content go? The liquid? Hair? Potion? E-everything disappeared!"

"Calm down," ordered Severus. "Put your hand inside and pull the piece of paper."

"But there's nothing inside!" she cried out.

"Do as you're told," ordered Snape again.

Draco could see how his godfather was trying to hold his frustration down.

When the girl reached inside the cauldron and pulled her hand out again, there was a small piece of paper in her hand.

"How?" she whispered in awe.

"The only person who can pull the paper is the owner of the ritual," said Severus. "Let's see your results now."

Draco couldn't see or hear what they were reading or discussing, and he was getting more and more agitated.

After they were done, Bones stared at Severus in shock.

"You will discuss the results with your Perfects," explained Severus. "If they see that it needs an intervention, they will fetch either the head of your house or myself. Now take your cauldron and place it in the back, and sit down."

Draco watched as the process continued with the other students and his nerves were getting worse by the second. His heart was beating faster, his hands were shaking, both his legs were bouncing, and he was huffing and muttering under his breath. He looked at the people who had completed the ritual and couldn't help but gulp. They all looked nervous and confused, some of them also had a happy and content expression on their faces.

When it was Blaise's turn, he saw the same process happen. When Blaise was reading the paper with Severus though, he whipped his head towards Draco sharply.

Draco couldn't help himself as he leapt to his feet, ready to go towards his boyfriend to see what was happening.

"Sit down, Draco," growled Severus, then turned to Blaise, whispering in his ears. The other boy just nodded in response.

What was that all about? Draco was more than terrified now at the thought of losing Blaise. That look that Blaise shot him... what was it? Were they not mates, after all? Oh Merlin, he was going to lose Blaise and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Draco was starting to panic, only calming down when he saw Blaise walk back, place his cauldron, and taking a seat next to him without saying a word.

Draco was screwed. This definitely meant that Blaise and him weren't bonded. He felt pain in his chest and wished that this day had never arrived.

"Draco," Severus called out. "Stop being dramatic and come. It's your turn."

The blond took long strides to the front, glancing back at Blaise who was looking at the ground. The pang in his chest increased but he tried to focus on following Severus' instructions.

Hair, blood, potion, he followed everything as quickly and efficiently as he could.

When Severus handed him the spell to mutter and he was done, he was shocked at the realization that he couldn't even remembered what he had just spelled. He looked towards his godfather who shook his head, obviously not wanting to be questioned at the moment. Draco took a mental note to ask the man about it later.

He blew in the cauldron and watched in amazement at the green liquid that sizzled out. In a way, it was beautiful.

When his godfather ordered him to grab the paper from inside, Draco hesitated. This moment was the moment that was going to change his life. Please, let it be Blaise; he begged in his mind. Please. He just wanted Blaise. A life without Blaise wasn't worth living. The other boy had been part of his life since they were children, and he couldn't imagine a life where he had to spend the rest of his days with someone else, watching Blaise in the arms of another.

Willing himself to be courageous, he pushed his hand inside and grabbed a piece of paper and pulled it outside. He didn't wait for Severus' instructions as he immediately started reading what was written, Severus standing next to him and peering at the paper as well.

/results paper/

Name: Draco Lucius Malfoy

Born: 1980, June 5. Age: 17 years old

Gender: Male

Father: Lucius Malfoy

Mother: Narcissa Malfoy (nee Black)

Guardians: Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy

Status: Dominant

Bonded to: Dominant Blaise Zabini, Unknown Submissive

/end results/

He whipped his head back to look at his boyfriend who had wide eyes, appearing shocked. Draco couldn't help the happy feelings he felt at that moment. He knew he wouldn't feel the bond until an hour after the ritual is done, as informed by Severus. One thing concerned him though. Why had Blaise reacted that way when he was done reading the results?

Draco looked at his godfather with pleading eyes.

"Fine," sighed Severus. "Ask me what you want, but make it quick."

"Why did Blaise..." he trailed off.

"Since you hadn't performed your own ritual yet, Blaise didn't see your name as a bonded," explained Severus. "All he saw was an unknown dominant and submissive."

Draco nodded and headed back to his seat. He grabbed his boyfriend's hand tightly and kept quiet as to not disturb those who were still performing their rituals. He felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. He squeezed the hand he was holding even tighter. Blaise was his. Blaise was his forever. They were meant to be together.

But then his mind went to the unknown submissive. He knew that him and Blaise were going to be dominants, but he didn't expect to have a submissive as well. There were many bonded dominants who lived happy lives without the need of a submissive. Who was going to be their third? That was a new thing he had to worry about. He didn't know who they were or if he was even capable of loving them.

* * *

Blaise didn't care about anything else besides the blond who was sitting next to him. Not just his boyfriend, but MATE. When Draco had gotten his results, something in Blaise snapped and he knew at once that they were bonded. He felt the hand tighten against his, and he let out a relieved breath. He was more than happy at that moment. He was grateful, glad, ecstatic, and felt as if his life became much better. Draco was going to be with him for the rest of their lives.

He put his other hand on Draco's tight grip, and squeezed gently to convey his feelings to his mate.

When everyone was done with their own rituals, Blaise didn't even hear what the professor had said. All he could focus on was Draco's face. Merlin, Blaise was happy.

As they made their way towards their dormitory, Blaise pulled the other boy inside an empty classroom.

"You're mine," whispered Blaise as he pulled his boyfriend into a kiss.

"Merlin," whispered Draco back. "You're MINE!"

The blond pushed him into a wall, one hand next to his head while the other was on his neck, patting softly as he was kissed deeply.

Blaise grunted as he was kissed and let his hands roam over Draco's body. One hand reaching a clothed nipple to tweak, while the other cupping his ass possessively.

The next thing he knew, Draco was pulling him in his lap as he sat down on a chair.

"I'm never letting you go," promised Draco as he landed soft kisses on his boyfriend's neck. He knew they couldn't start making out since the classroom would probably be filled soon.

"Do you have any idea how much I wanted this?" Said Draco. "How much I wanted you more than anyone and anything in this world? You're finally not just mine, but mine officially, in everyone's eyes."

Blaise responded by kissing his boyfriend again. He didn't know how to voice his feelings like Draco. All he felt was happiness, love, and appreciation at that moment. Him and Draco would grow old together and live their entire days together. A thought crossed his mind and he got out of his lover's lap.

"We have a third," he stated.

"Thanks for stating the obvious," Draco rolled his eyes.

"It's a submissive, Draco," said Blaise. "It wouldn't be easy to deal with them the way we deal with each other. They need more attention. More caring. More love. I just hope we can provide a good life for them. I don't know if I can love them the way I love you."

"It will be okay," promised Draco as he stood up and hugged his mate. "Whoever they are, we will make sure they have a comfortable life. I don't know about love either, but it's our duty to care for them. We didn't ask for this and neither did they. It's not their fault."

Blaise kept quiet as he thought about Draco's words.

"Besides," continued Draco, "we will definitely have much more fun now."

Blaise chuckled. He knew his boyfriend was smirking.

"Imagine if it's Weasley," he said jokingly.

Draco shuddered in response. "Merlin, Blaise! Don't even joke like that again."

Blaise laughed and let his mind wander towards the raven-haired boy from Gryffindor before shaking the thought off. Just because the boy had his attention didn't mean that he was theirs. Blaise hoped that he was the one though, or at least for their submissive to look like him. Despite how tired the boy usually looked, he was still very attractive.

"Should we go to the dormitory?" asked Draco. "We don't have classes for at least three hours."

Blaise hummed in response and they went to the Slytherin Common Room.

They were seated there for a while, just enjoying each other's company, when a wave hit Blaise. He put a hand over his mouth and his eyes went wide. Draco was hovering over him with a worried expression but Blaise couldn't focus on that. All he could focus on was the raw concerned emotions he felt. These weren't his emotions. He looked at Draco again and gasped in surprise. Somehow he could feel what Draco was feeling. He knew his boyfriend was worried and scared.

He reached one hand and grabbed Draco by the neck and guided him to sit next to him.

"Blaise!" cried Draco. "What's wrong? What's happening? Should I get the healers?"

"N-no. Just give me a moment," said Blaise.

He couldn't believe that somehow he was able to feel Draco's emotions. What was going on? It hit him suddenly what Professor Snape said when he informed them that the bond would form after the hour mark. Was this what happened? He knew from his own research and what he had been told that feeling your mate's emotions was a normal thing, but he didn't know that it would be this intense. It was as if Draco was part of him.

"Talk to me, Blaise," begged Draco.

"It's the bond," said Blaise.

"What about it?"

"It's formed," replied Blaise. "I can feel you."

Draco's eyes went wide at the realization, and a smile spread across his face.

Blaise could feel the happiness oozing from his blond lover. These new feelings were making his heart warm up. He couldn't believe that he was able to feel his boyfriend like that. It was a new and weird experience, but one that Blaise enjoyed.

He closed his eyes as he let himself enjoy this new sensation.

Somewhere deep within, he could feel another thing. It was very faint, but he knew he was feeling their submissive. Whoever it was, Blaise only knew that they were safe and weren't in any danger.

"I can also feel our third," he admitted. "Not the same way I can feel you. I can just tell that there's nothing harming them."

"Seriously?" asked Draco in shock and awe. "Is there anything else you feel from them?"

"Nothing else," said Blaise. "Let's just enjoy this for now. I'm sure you will also start feeling it very soon."

Draco nodded as he grabbed Blaise's arm and put it across his own shoulder, and rested his head on his chest.

"I'm so lucky," said Draco. "To have you here with me. To know for a fact that we were meant to be together. I was so terrified of the idea of losing you. I thought... part of me thought what if you weren't my mate? What if I ended up with someone else? I wouldn't be able to go on with living, Blaise. Merlin. I just can't believe it."

Blaise tightened his hold on his boyfriend. He knew exactly what Draco was talking about because he himself felt the same thing. It was something that worried him for a long time and he spent countless of sleepless nights because of it. Everything was different now though. Now, they were certain that they belonged together. Blaise could now take care of Draco and love him in ways he couldn't before.

After graduation, he would find a suitable home for them. Draco was fancy and elegant so he would need a beautiful home. Blaise was sure that Draco would take charge in organizing everything in their home, since the blond always did the same with Blaise's clothes. Maybe after finding a house, they would get the jobs of their dreams. While Blaise wanted to be a Dragon Tamer, Draco wanted to be an Auror. He snorted at the thought. Draco would be a difficult Auror to handle. People wouldn't be able to charm their way out of trouble when it came to him.

Then there was the third person in their relationship. Blaise wasn't sure how to handle that since he had never had any deep feelings towards anyone besides Draco. Whoever it was, Blaise knew that he had to take care of the person. It didn't matter how he felt; he was going to ensure that they were safe and cared for. As a dominant, it was his job to do so. He knew he had to take responsibility and he would gladly do it. He didn't know if he would ever come to actually genuinely care about the other person or even love them, but he had to try. Draco on the other hand might be difficult. His boyfriend never had the patience. He was hot headed, and the jealous and possessive type. They would need to have a discussion about this with just the two of them, and then with their submissive once they have been identified.

"Good, you're both here," said the female Perfect as she walked in with a parchment clutched to her side.

"Anything we can do for you?" asked Blaise with a raised eyebrow.

"You two are the third couple that has been identified," she explained as she sat down on the couch in front of them. "A Hufflepuff was found to be the mate of an older dominant, and Pansy was identified as the mate of a Hufflepuff. Well, you two as well I suppose."

"Pansy is bonded with a Hufflepuff?" Draco said as he let out a laugh in disbelief.

"That's not what I'm here to discuss," said the Perfect. "Since you two are bonded, Professor Snape had instructed me to show you your new quarters and give you the rules. We will go through the rules before I show you the way."

They stayed silent and let her continue.

"First, just because you have a separate place to sleep in doesn't mean that the school rules you have been given are invalid," she said. "You will still follow them and obey your Perfects' and Professors. Second, there will be no skipping classes unless it's an emergency. Third, if you actually bond with your submissive while you're still here, you can't let anyone in your personal quarters. Submissives need a safe nest to be theirs until the bond can calm down for them. I explained the whole bond to everyone in the beginning of the year so I will not go through it again unless you have any concerns. Is there anything you want to ask in the meanwhile?"

"There was one weird thing that I noticed during the ritual. I can't seem to remember the spell at all," said Draco.

"That's something you can discuss with Professor Snape. It's not urgent so I will not disturb him for now," said the Perfect. "Let him deal with the more pressing matters first and complete the ritual for the remaining houses, then you can talk to him. I will let you know when the time is appropriate. Now, get up. I will show you the way to where you will be staying for the rest of the year."

* * *

Hermione Granger sat in the library facing Harry Potter. She was busy organizing the notes they had prepared for their assignment but she was in no rush. They were almost done with the first part and she knew that most of their peers hadn't even started yet. Hermione and Harry in the meanwhile would be done way before the due date, which was perfect. She always liked to be not just in time, but even before that.

She peeked at Harry and saw him concentrating on reading a paper. She could still remember their first year in Hogwarts. They were much closer than now. The two of them, along with Ron, used to spend their entire time together. Harry was very talkative and she could remember how he was fascinated by every single thing he encountered in the Magical World; just like her. They both came from the Muggle World so everything was simply MAGICAL to them. The way the stairs moved while they were climbing, the talking portraits, the ghosts, Hagrid the giant, even the quills that were moving on their own. Everything was beautiful and exciting.

"Did you know Parvati is trying to compete with me in potions?" she blurted out.

When Harry looked up at her, she couldn't help but blush.

"She wants to become a Potions Mistress and teach kids in the future," she explained.

"That's nice," he responded before turning his attention back to what he was reading.

Well, that failed miserably. She couldn't start a conversation with him.

Her thoughts took her to Ron and she couldn't help but frown. Ron was sulking as usual and had another argument with her just because she wanted to spend her free time working on the assignment with Harry instead of spending it with him. While she did enjoy fooling around with him and LOVED spending as much time as possible with him, her studies always had a priority no matter what. Nothing in this world was going to benefit her as much as a good education. Besides, even if for some reason she herself didn't like studying, her parents would simply kill her. They both believed in good grades and that education held the key to one's future.

"What does this say?" asked Harry as he passed her a paper and pointed at a sentence.

She recognized her hand writing and knew some people found it difficult to read what she wrote, so she started reading it for him.

They focused on working on the assignment for the remainder of the time until she decided that they needed a break and went to find Ron.

She saw her boyfriend sulking with his friends before he saw her and his eyes lit up with excitement. It was so sweet how despite how angry he would get, he was always excited upon seeing her. That was one of the main reasons she loved him.

"Come here, you oaf," she ordered. He happily went with her and they both sat on a bench.

"Are you still mad?" she asked.

"Yes!" he huffed.

"Too bad," sighed Hermione. "I was thinking of inviting you on a date this weekend but I guess you're too mad to spend the day with me."

He whipped his head around and looked at her in shock.

"You're asking me out on a date?" asked Ron.

"Only if you're not mad," responded Hermione.

"Of course I'm not!" he exclaimed loudly. "I'd never actually get mad at you. Merlin, can't believe we're going on a real date. It's been ages."

"Who's fault is that?"

"Yours!" he responded.

"How is it my fault!" Hermione whined.

"Well, you had to go back to the Muggle World all summer. You have any idea how lonely I was?"

Just when she was about to respond, she saw Professor Snape approaching them with a scowl on his face.

"Granger, come with me," ordered the man and took off, not waiting for a response.

"What's this all about?" asked Ron.

"No idea. I'll see you later," said Hermione as she followed the professor.

What could Snape possibly want with her? They hardly ever spoke outside of classes. Was she in some sort of trouble, or did he want to talk about the assignment? She wasn't sure. She followed the professor, hoping that she wasn't going to have any problems.

She recognized his office and felt unsettled. It was rare for any of the students to approach his office, let alone go inside. Snape opened the door and waited for her to get inside first. He ordered her to sit on the chair in front of his desk while he sat behind it.

"I'll get right into it since I don't have much time to waste," he started.

"It has come to my attention recently that Potter might be facing some difficulties," he explained. "I want you to let me know if you have noticed any strange behaviors, and if anyone is giving him a hard time."

"I...haven't noticed anything weird, Professor," Hermione answered honestly. "Harry had always been introverted and he prefers to spend his time alone and reading, but I've never seen anyone bothering him."

"Hmm. Is there anything concerning that he's been doing? Anything you noticed at all?"

"What is this about, Sir?" she asked.

"Just answer the questions, Ms. Granger."

Did Harry perhaps report that someone was teasing him? She hadn't seen anyone treat him in a bad way before. People usually left him alone and didn't bother him, as far as she knew. And why was Snape involved? If Harry had a problem, he would go to the Head of their House, not Snape. ESPECIALLY not Snape. The Professor was up to something and she didn't like it at all.

* * *

I suck at writing rituals and stuff like that so it was underwhelming lol. What did you think about this chapter? And if you guys have any requests too, let me know! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – My New Life

* * *

Hermione stared at Snape for a long time, trying to study his expressions and figuring out his motives. She never trusted the old man and didn't know why he was so interested in Harry all of a sudden. The professor never paid Harry much attention before. Yes, he bullied him the same way he bullied the rest, but that was the extent of it. She never saw them together outside of class. Did he maybe figure something out about Harry? Was this a new tactic to gather information and tease them about it later? Whatever it was, she didn't trust Snape. Even if for whatever reasons he had good intentions, she wasn't going to disclose any information to him before she understood what was going on. Well, not that she had information anyway. She barely interacted with Harry. The only reason they even talked these days was the fact that they were partners in an assignment.

"Professor," she started and paused for few seconds. "What are your intentions? Why are you asking all these questions?"

She decided to be blunt with him. If it didn't work out, then she would find another way to figure out the truth.

"I'm the one asking the questions here, Granger," he glared at her.

"I can't help you if I don't know what type of information you are looking for, Sir," she responded. While she didn't like disrespecting her teachers, she still wasn't sure what was going on.

"Don't be cheeky with me, brat," said Snape. "All I need to know is if you've seen anything concerning regarding Potter."

"I haven't," she responded. She didn't want to add that even if she did, Snape wouldn't be the first person to know it.

"Alright," he sighed. "You can go now but if you notice anything, I want you to tell me about it."

"Yes, Sir."

After she was being dismissed, she was stopped when she reached the door.

"And, Miss Granger, I want this to stay between us."

She flashed him a fake smile before going out. She had to find Harry.

Getting out of the office, she felt a chill running through her body. The dungeon was always very cold and quiet and she hated it there.

"Hi there, Mudblood," a voice called out from behind her and she knew right away who it belonged to.

Ignoring the girl behind her, she kept on walking.

"Are you deaf now?" the girl taunted.

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. This girl had been treating her like this since they were still in First Year. It was exhausting playing this game. They were almost adults already.

"What do you want, Parkinson?" Hermione scowled at the girl.

It was safe to say that the person she hated the most in her life was Pansy Parkinson. Over the years, she couldn't find one redeeming quality about her.

"What are you doing in this part of the school?" questioned Parkinson as she stood in front of her. "Are you spying on us or Professor Snape? You're awfully close to his office."

"That's none of your business. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Hold it right there, Mudblood. Where do you think you're going?" taunted Parkinson again.

"That's enough, Pansy," said the girl that was standing next to her.

Hermione turned her focus on Daphne Greengrass. The Slytherin was always with Parkinson. She never participated in the bullying but she never stopped it either. Hermione still disliked her greatly for the simple fact of being friends with a bully.

"I'm just having some fun, Daph," said Parkinson innocently.

"You're needed in the dormitory," stated Greengrass while looking at Parkinson, then turned to Hermione. "I suggest you move along now if you don't need anything."

With that, Hermione glared at the two and left the dungeons. To her, all Slytherins were nothing but racist bullies. Just like that group of kids she would encounter in her neighborhood in the Muggle World. There were always people like this around. People filled with stupidity and hatred for others.

She had more things to focus on anyway, so she pushed the thoughts of all Slytherins away from her mind. They had Charms soon so she needed to go and read the lesson before the class started. She also needed to attend Quidditch practice which she dreaded since she already felt sore from the previous day. Oh, and she needed to warn Harry about Professor Snape as well.

She went to the Gryffindor common room and found some of the younger students sitting in there.

"Don't you have classes now?" she questioned while crossing her arms. "What are you doing here at this time?"

All the Gryffindors had classes at this time except the Seventh Year. As the female Perfect of her House, she ensured to memorize all their schedules so that she knew where each student was.

"Hermione!" squeaked Ginny Weasley as she scrambled to her feet along with the others. "W-we were just..."

"I'll deal with you later. For now, go to your class," ordered Hermione.

She took a deep breath as she threw herself on the chair. Hermione had always liked to challenge herself but the year was taking a toll of her because of all the responsibilities she had to take. At least she can go and fly on her broom later. That always seemed to calm her down whenever she felt as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

Maybe the best thing to do now was study for Charms to pass the time and to stop overthinking. Studying was one of the methods that distracted her from thinking too much.

* * *

The next morning, Harry Potter was in the bathroom brushing his teeth. He had another nightmare during the night which left him tired, as if he didn't even sleep. He also had a neck pain from sleeping in the wrong position which left him cranky. Some of his dormmates were standing in front of the other sinks next to him as well.

Dean was brushing his teeth along with Ron, Neville was drying off his hair with a towel, while Seamus was in one of the stalls, talking loudly.

"I heard that some of them had found their bonded already," yelled Seamus from the stall.

"Some poor Hufflepuff is mated to Parkinson," stated Neville.

"Parkinson?" shuddered Ron.

"Yeah," replied Seamus. "Another Hufflepuff apparently has an older mate. They didn't say who it was yet since it was a delicate situation or whatever." he paused. "Oh, and also, Malfoy and Zabini are bonded too."

"Seriously?" asked Ron. "Kind of not surprising. These two snakes had been dating for as long as I can remember."

They were interrupted when the door opened and a younger Gryffindor walked in.

"What are you doing here? This isn't your assigned bathroom. Out!" shouted Dean at the boy who squeaked and left in a hurry.

"Can't believe these kids are still trying to sneak in our assigned bathrooms," grumbled Dean.

"You can't blame them," said Neville, fluffing his hair with a towel. "This one is much cleaner and nicer than the other one. Besides, the other one is crowded."

"I mean, we did do the same when we were younger," shrugged Ron.

Harry tried to block their conversation from his mind. He was still thinking about the piece of information that Seamus had said. So, Malfoy and Zabini were officially bonded. He didn't know why he was disappointed. It wasn't as if he had any kind of relationship with the two of them and on top of it all, everyone knew that these two were dating for a long time now.

He wished he was also in a relationship with someone who he loved and loved him back. That would've been nice. He didn't really know what that felt like, but it must have been incredible.

He splashed water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was getting a bit too long for his liking so he made a note to trim it soon. The bags under his eyes were bigger since he didn't have a restful night, and his face looked bonier than usual.

After washing his face, he changed into his uniform and headed for the dining hall.

There were many teachers and students there already. Some ghosts were even flying around and chatting with the students. Harry found himself a nice empty spot at the Gryffindor table and sat down. He looked at the food and decided to go for a bowl of fruit and some water.

He saw Hermione Granger enter the hall and stride towards him, deciding to sit right next to him.

"Good morning," she whispered.

"Morning," he responded

"I need to tell you something," she continued whispering. When he didn't answer, she continued, "professor Snape called me in his office yesterday and he was asking weird questions about you."

"Huh?" why was Snape asking about him?

"He was asking if there was something wrong with you or if there was anyone bothering you. These kinds of questions. I don't know why he's asking these questions about you but I thought I should let you know so that you can be careful. You never know what Snape is up to. I don't trust him."

Harry could understand why Granger didn't trust the older man. Over the years, he had been basically bullying all of them. He even allowed his Slytherins to bully them and never punished them for it. In return, he punished the other houses instead. Harry never liked the man for allowing his students to call Hermione a mudblood and bully her for something she had no power over.

And why was Snape asking about him anyway? Was this a new tactic he was going to use to humiliate Harry even more during classes? He had to be careful around the older man from now on. The questions were also weird but Harry didn't know how to react to this new piece of information. What was he supposed to do or say? He didn't want this kind of attention to be placed on him.

"Thanks?" he questioned. "I appreciate you telling me."

Granger looked at him and huffed in annoyance. She was clearly not expecting this reaction.

But what was Harry even supposed to say in this situation? There was nothing he could say that would make sense.

"Anyway, Professor McGonagall wants to meet with us all in the common room after breakfast. Don't worry about first class. It had been canceled."

With that, Granger started eating.

After breakfast, Harry headed to the Gryffindor common room and found that he was one of the last people to arrive there. The professor had entered the room right after him.

"Good morning, everyone," said the professor. "How are you all today?"

When she was met with a chorus of 'good' and 'fine', she nodded in acknowledgment.

"As you all know by now, both the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs had completed their bonding rituals. Today the Ravenclaws would perform theirs. As for you, tomorrow is your turn."

That caused an uproar between the students as they tried to talk all over each other.

"ENOUGH!" shouted Granger. "Let the professor speak. You will have the chance to talk after she's done."

"Thank you, Miss Granger," the professor thanked. "As I was saying, tomorrow is your turn. Professor Snape will be in charge of assisting you with your rituals, so be mindful of that. After you complete your ritual, feel free to approach me or professor Snape for any queries or issues; whoever you feel more comfortable with. My office door will always be opened for you. Does anyone have any questions?"

Once again, they started talking all at once.

"STOP IT!" screamed their Perfect, Hermione, and they obeyed. "Raise your hands if you have any questions."

Harry could see the approval look that the professor sent towards Granger. The girl was definitely her favorite student. He saw several people raise their hands.

"Yes, Mr. Finnigan," the professor said.

"What time will the ritual start?" asked Seamus.

"You will be present here at 8:00 AM sharp, and I will take you to the class myself," she responded. "Miss Padma Patil," she said again, looking at the girl.

"What about the rest of our classes? From what we have been informed, we shouldn't be allowed to attend our classes for a while."

"Tomorrow you will not be going to any class after you perform the ritual," explained the professor. "Those of you who would not be bonded yet, will start their normal lessons tomorrow. As for those who will be bonded, it depends. Submissives will not be able to attend any class for two weeks, while it would depend on the dominant."

"Depends?" repeated Padma Patil.

"It's ideal for them to remain with their submissives for the two weeks period, but they can determine if the submissive will be able to stay by themselves during class time. I would not recommend it though. Submissives have a hard time being separate from their bonded; especially at the beginning of the bond, so even if the dominant thinks their bonded can handle it, they might not. I want you all to be very careful."

After several questions, professor McGonagall decided that it was enough.

"After you all complete your rituals, I will meet with each one of you individually to discuss the situation. Your Perfects will set the time so you don't have to worry about it. If you have any urgent issues before our meeting, then feel free to come to me."

Harry felt relieved once the meeting was over. He had so much anxiety which left him nervous.

* * *

Draco Malfoy looked around the quarters with disdain. Even his own bedroom looked much better than this place him and Blaise were given. He tried to fight back the urge to complain and held back his tongue instead. Sure, this was worse than expected, but at least it was a place for them to have some privacy. The room wasn't anything special. He was currently standing in a small living room which was bare, save for the couches and empty bookshelf. There were three doors around the living room. One that led to the bathroom, and two bedrooms that were identical to each other.

Their Perfects had just left them so that they could go and do their other duties, and Draco was glad that he was finally alone with Blaise.

"You don't like this place?" frowned Blaise.

Draco couldn't tell how Blaise figured it out so quickly. Maybe it was because of the new bond or for the simple fact that his boyfriend knew him so well.

"Of course I don't. It's so empty. I don't like this," huffed Draco.

"You can decorate it?" encouraged Blaise. "I'm sure you will love doing that."

Draco glared at him in response as he sat down and patted the couch, inviting Blaise to sit next to him. Ever since the bond formed, he felt the need to stay close to Blaise; closer than usual. It was as if there was a rope that was pulling him towards the other boy and refusing to let go. His mother had explained to him a while back that it was a normal thing to experience after the bond gets formed, and that as a dominant, it shouldn't affect his life greatly. He didn't care if it did though. Blaise was worth it.

Feeling his mate's emotions was a new experience that he enjoyed greatly. He had always been able to understand Blaise's feelings, but it was a whole new affair to actually be able to feel what he was feeling. Draco liked that. It meant that part of Blaise was always going to be there with him.

"I need to write my parents a letter," stated Draco.

Blaise grunted in response.

"You should write one to your mother as well."

"No point," said Blaise. "The school probably sent a copy of the results already."

"Still, she should hear it from you," insisted Draco.

"Fine," responded Blaise softly.

Draco knew that writing letters was one of Blaise's least favorite things to do. Even the letters he received from Blaise were always short and to the point.

"Let's go and check our rooms. You choose first," said Blaise.

Draco blinked at him.

"Come on, big guy," said Draco as he stood up. "We're headed to OUR room. You think I'll leave you alone when we finally have some privacy?"

Draco saw Blaise smirk and couldn't help the shiver that ran through his body. His mate was definitely the hottest person alive.

They walked in the room and looked around. There was a king-sized bed as well as few dressers, a table, and a mirror. The room was very empty and Draco was going to make sure that it felt like home. Even though they were only going to spend less than a year in this place until they graduate, it still didn't mean they had to live like barbarians. He was going to design the entire place. He wouldn't even allow Blaise to handle any of the designing aspects. His bonded was horrible when it came to both fashion and decorating.

"I'm heading back to the dormitory to collect our things," declared Blaise.

"Leave it to the house elves," said Draco.

"You want them to manhandle your precious clothes?" asked an amused Blaise.

"You're right," shuddered Draco. "I'll go with you."

While he trusted Blaise, he still felt the need to stay close to him.

They exited their new quarters and walked toward the Slytherin dormitory. Draco wasn't going to miss the dormitory. He had to share his bedroom with several other boys and while they were his friends, he still preferred to have his own bedroom so that it wasn't as noisy as the other boys made it to be.

"I wonder how Pansy is taking the whole bonding thing," said Draco. "I can't believe she's bonded to a Hufflepuff after all the torture she had put them through all these years."

"That was a surprise," Blaise smiled.

"Hopefully we can see her later. I'm very curious to know who her mate is," laughed Draco.

Pansy had terrorized most of the Hufflepuffs that were in the same year as them, so Draco pitied whoever ended up mated to her. They would probably get the shock of their lives. Honestly, Draco couldn't wait to see the look on their faces. He still hoped Pansy was alright though. Yes, she was mean to people, but she was also very loyal and lovely to her friends.

His amusement at that thought turned into excitement as his eyes lit up at the sight in front of him. He spotted the raven-haired Gryffindor who was sitting on the ground with his back to the wall, concentrating hard on a book he was reading.

He glanced at Blaise and saw him frowning at the boy.

"You're alright?" he questioned in concern.

"Yes, just...thinking," Blaise answered.

"About?" encouraged Draco.

"About our third," admitted Blaise. "We haven't spoken about it yet but I'm worried about what's going to happen. To them. To us. To you."

"Don't worry too much, love," Draco said softly. "Nothing is going to change between us. I know you worry too much but just know that whatever happens, we will always have each other. I love you."

"I also love you. Let's discuss this in private," responded Blaise.

Draco leaned in and kissed his boyfriend. Blaise had always worried too much. No matter what happened, he will always stay by Blaise's side. He would do anything for the other boy, no matter what it was.

As they walked, Draco couldn't help but fix his stare on Harry Potter who was still reading his book. He was pouting which Draco couldn't help but think that it was absolutely adorable. Whoever turned out to be the bonded of the shorter boy was going to be lucky. Draco tried to push the jealousy wave he felt down. He didn't have the right to feel jealous about Potter being with someone else. He had Blaise and that was enough.

As they passed the boy, Draco didn't notice the green eyes that followed his back.

* * *

Harry Potter let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and gulped. After his interaction with the blond Slytherin, he found himself thinking about him and looking at him even more than he did before. While he found it uncomfortable and unsettling before, now he felt a new kind of emotion that he couldn't describe. His heart jumped at the sight of the blond, and at the same time he felt excited and disappointed. The other boy was not just dating someone, but he was MATED which meant Harry would never have a chance to be with him.

Not that he ever stood a chance anyway. The other boy, Zabini, was very handsome and was always glued to Malfoy's side. The two of them were inseparable. And even if they weren't, Harry would never be able to form any kind of relationship with Malfoy anyway. It was one thing to, maybe, just maybe, have a slight crush on him, but it was a whole different road to date or even befriend him. Harry never wanted anyone to get too close to him. If they did, they would find out how messed up he actually was.

"Hi, Harry," a voice called out and he turned his head around only to find Luna Lovegood.

"Hello," he responded softly.

The girl sat down next to him without waiting for an invite. He always felt bad for her since she was often teased by most of the students for being weird and strange. Harry didn't really find her weird at all. Yes, she had few questionable antics but then again who doesn't? And besides, her father's magazine was his favorite thing to read.

"Just finished my ritual," she said out of the blue.

Harry hummed in response. It wasn't any of his business anyway, but part of him was still a bit curious about her results.

"Still no bond," she continued. "You know, my mother was in her early thirties when she was bonded to my father. They spent years trying to work out their relationship. I hope I won't have to wait as long as my mother did. My grandmother was in the same situation and so was her mother. It's probably a genetic thing. I hope I don't get a much younger dominant."

Harry's eyes widened at that. So Lovegood was a submissive, he assumed. What made him even more nervous than before was the fact that he might be bonded to someone much older than him, or even much younger, which was even worse. If he was in his thirties and found out his mate was still so young, he didn't know if he could survive that.

"Do you think there are people who don't have mates?" he asked the blond.

"Of course," smiled Lovegood. "I mean, if their mate dies or something. I never really heard of anyone who didn't have a mate at some point in their lives. Lady Magic would never allow that pain to be inflicted on anyone."

Harry kept his disagreement to himself. What pain? If he didn't have any bonded, then he would be more than happy.

"So you still aren't bonded?" he found himself asking.

"Not yes," she responded with a smile before getting up and dusting her skirt. "I have to go now. I need to tell the Nargles the news."

She didn't wait for a response as she left him alone.

He shook his head in amusement and refocused on the textbook he was reading. If he didn't study hard enough, he would fail which would only cause problems for him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – My New Life

* * *

Blaise Zabini sat on the bed and watched his lover as he organized his clothes inside the drawers. Draco was too distracted and looked as if he was enjoying himself. Blaise snorted at that. Of course Draco would be enjoying himself while organizing. The blond even declared that he was going to organize Blaise's things as well. Blaise couldn't care any less. He hated organizing and if Draco was offering... then he would gladly accept it.

"As I was saying," started Draco. "Mother had written to me and she seems fine. She was sick for few days but nothing is serious, and she had made a full recovery."

"That's good. Send her my regards the next time you write to her," responded Blaise.

"Will do," Draco smiled. "She had also sent her regards to you. Her and father are going to France for some getaway. They're bringing me back that beautiful snake that I wanted. You know, the one I told you about before?"

Blaise hummed in response. Draco had a fascination with snakes ever since he was a child. He owned two snakes already and was in the process of acquiring a new one. Sadly, they wasn't allowed to bring a snake as a familiar to the school so Draco was stuck with an owl. Well, not stuck; since he seemed to care about the owl as much as his snakes.

He watched Draco continuing to arrange his clothes. The blond was wearing dark grey slacks and a silver shirt that hugged his body in all the right places. His boyfriend was currently bending over to sort out a low drawer, and Blaise licked his lips. Suddenly he felt his lips were dry.

He stood from the bed and walked to his boyfriend, standing right behind him.

When Draco straightened and turned around, he was startled by Blaise's very close presence.

"Blaise? What-" Blaise shut him up with a kiss.

He held his waist with both hands and pushed him backwards until the blond's back hit the wall, Blaise trapping him, hands tightening on his waist as he continued to ravish his mouth.

Draco moaned, his hand cupping Blaise's neck while the other ran over his shirt. Blaise had to hold back a groan at the feeling of Draco's gentle hand running all over his chest.

He took his hands off the blond's waist and moved them to his pants instead, intending to remove the obstacle so he could get a better view of his boyfriend. It had been few days since he touched Draco and he couldn't wait anymore.

He hissed at the sharp pain of Draco's teeth biting into his flesh.

Locking eyes with Draco, he saw the amusement and desire flash into those eyes. That minx was teasing him and Blaise was planning on getting back at him.

Just when he was about to pull the blond's trousers down, he felt a sudden pang in his chest. He fell to his knees, clutching his chest.

Noticing his boyfriend doing the same, Blaise's eyes widened as he felt something new in his heart. There was a presence that wasn't him or Draco. Their third had been found and bonded already.

* * *

No. This was not happening. No, no no no no no no. Absolutely not! Harry felt as if he couldn't breathe. This was a joke. A mistake. It couldn't possibly be happening to him out of all people. A mistake. Yes, definitely a mistake. There was no other way to describe it. His heart was beating much faster than usual, and he could feel his sweaty hands and feet getting sweatier. How the hell were these parts of him sweating when the weather was too cold? He felt as if someone had slapped his face with ice. He was confused, scared, hopeful, terrified, and nervous. He didn't even know how he felt.

After reading the results of the ritual, he had bolted outside the room without a second glance at the rest of the class or even professor Snape. The man didn't even get the chance to open his mouth before Harry decided to run off.

He knew that he was going to be bonded and knew that he was probably going to be a submissive, but this was too much to handle. The reality and realization had hit him on the face and now that it was all true, he didn't know how to handle it. He was suffocating and certain that he was going to die.

Reaching an abandoned corridor, he leaned his hands and forehead on the wall and tried to inhale and exhale as much as possible. He couldn't pass out at a time like this and make life even harder on his mates. He choked on his own spit and started coughing, then let out a small laugh at how stupid it was. Mates. Not just one person to be disappointed by him, but now there were two. Two people who no doubt didn't want him already. The worst part was the fact that he knew who they were. Two perfect Slytherins who were so deeply in love that everyone noticed. Two people who never looked at anyone else besides the other. And now they were going to be stuck with him for the rest of their lives. It was unfair. Unfair for them, for him, for everyone.

Harry banged his forehead on the wall and whimpered pathetically. What was he going to do? How was he going to explain this? They were going to be so angry with him. The anxiety was eating him alive.

He knew the bond still hadn't completely formed yet but he could FEEL them in the same castle. Blaise Zabini came across his mind and Harry couldn't stop the sob that came out of mouth. He didn't even know the other boy but part of him needed him there. Draco's image flashed in front of him and he wished the other boy was there. He remembered when Draco held his hand and walked around with him. That was nice. He wanted Draco to be there so badly. Draco was safe. Draco was protection.

He banged his head several times again and bit his tongue when he KNEW he was about to open his stupid mouth and call out the blond's name. Why was he being like this? He wasn't this needy and emotional. It was all too much to handle though. He could feel his lower lip shaking as well as his hands.

Finally, he decided to sit down against the wall, hugging his knees. Breathe in. Breathe out. He had to stop shaking.

Harry was scared of the future he would have now. Scared of the mates who he had and knew would not want him. Scared of his relatives' reaction. Scared of how he was going to mess up with two people's lives.

Don't be stupid, Harry, he told himself. He needed to calm down and face this problem without causing even more issues for the people involved. They were already stuck together and the least he could do was not embarrass himself in front of them by being so dramatic and emotional. He kept telling himself to calm down but it didn't work. He found himself shaking more, his heart beating faster.

He stayed in his place for a long time before it hit him. A sudden sharp pang in his chest and he yelped in surprise. For the first time in his life, he felt as if he wasn't alone and that just scared him even more. There was a tug-like touch inside his chest and he gasped. He focused more and was able to feel two people. He knew it was Draco and Zabini without any hesitation. All he could tell was their presence nearby. He focused more on Draco and he could tell the blond boy was pacing around. Averting his attention to Zabini, the boy was sitting. Harry found that strange. How was he able to tell what they were doing without even seeing them?

Harry prodded the connections several times as the time passed by and the dread in his stomach increased as he felt them just sitting there and doing nothing. Did that mean that they didn't accept him? He knew this would happen. No one ever wanted him and he couldn't even blame them.

His tears increased to sobs as he buried his head between his chest and knees, wishing he would just disappear and die.

* * *

Draco paced around the room, feeling anxious. It had been over an hour since their third had perform his own ritual, and he knew the bond was eventually formed. He could feel the despair, fear, and self-loathing through the bond and it just put him on edge.

"Blaise!" he snapped at his boyfriend who was sitting down. "We need to go to him."

"Not yet," responded Blaise calmly.

"I can't just sit here and ignore all of these raw emotions! He's in distress," insisted Draco.

"He needs some alone time to deal with it on his own first," sighed Blaise as he stood and pulled Draco to his chest. "It's alright, love. He will be alright."

"He's so confused," muttered Draco softly.

"I know," responded Blaise gently while running a hand through the blond's hair.

"He's scared."

"I know," Blaise repeated.

They stayed like that for a while. Draco knew that it was best to listen to Blaise and let their mate be alone for a little while so that he could deal with the new information and process them before they go to him. If they go to him now, he won't be in the right state of mind since he would need them. But at least for now, they were away and he could think for himself. Submissives usually followed their instincts when they were close to their mates, especially in the beginning.

Harry Potter. He couldn't believe their third was Harry Potter. That beautiful, shy green-eyed boy whom he stole glances at constantly. Draco was beyond happy in the beginning, before realizing what Harry was feeling. All he wanted to do was go to the boy and comfort him and stop him from being so distressed. These emotions were overwhelming for Draco, so he couldn't even begin to imagine what Harry actually felt like.

When an even bigger wave of despair hit him, Draco couldn't take it anymore.

"Can we go now?" Draco huffed impatiently.

"Yes," Blaise responded before hurrying out.

Draco was amused at his boyfriend's reaction. Blaise was very patient but he was also a person who would get overly concerned and worried. While he was the rock in their relationship, he would still be concerned even more than Draco. He was just good at presenting a calm aura.

While rushing to find their mate, Draco almost stumbled two times, if it wasn't for Blaise's hand that held his waist in order to prevent the fall. Draco didn't care though; he just needed to find Harry and fast. He didn't know how he managed to hold off going after him for over an hour, but enough was enough. Even if Blaise said no to the last time, Draco would've bolted outside.

He could feel the dread and loneliness oozing from their submissive. At one point, the pain increased and that was when Draco lost it. He ran to the direction that he knew for certain was the location of Harry.

When his eyes finally landed on him, he froze in place and was unable to move. Now that he can finally see the Gryffindor, everything was becoming more real to him. Draco might have liked the other boy, yes, but he still didn't know him. His whole life was changing and there was nothing he could do about it. How was he going to deal with someone who he didn't have any romantic feelings towards? Someone who should be, by default, his entire life? How was he going to fall in love with someone other than Blaise?

The boy on the ground finally looked up, eyes landing on Draco, and Draco shook all of these thoughts out of his mind. It wasn't the right time for that and looking at the teared stained face and quivering lips, all Draco wanted to do was to comfort his submissive.

* * *

Harry couldn't help the low whimper that escaped his lips once he glimpsed the sight of the two people standing in front of him. Were they there for him? Nothing mattered at that moment, all he wanted was to be near them. Something within him screamed at him to be close and he tried to beg them with his eyes. He didn't know what he was begging for, but he begged nonetheless.

Within seconds, he found Blaize Zabini dropping on the ground in front of him, pulling him into his chest. Harry felt warm and secure in those arms, but he still couldn't stop himself from flinching instinctively. For the first time in his life, he felt protected in someone's arms. His hands were raised behind Zabini's back, trying to determine whether he should hug him back or not. He found out that he couldn't and so his hands stayed in midair. He wanted to embrace him back but he just couldn't.

He lowered his hands slowly and felt the tears burning his eyes. He was so confused and scared and didn't know what to do.

Another hand touched his hair, and his eyes met with Draco Malfoy who was crouching next to him and offering a kind smile.

Harry couldn't help but hide his face into Zabini's strong chest. He was too embarrassed to be seen in this way. Zabini in response tightened his hold on him.

The hand on his hair started patting and running gently.

"It's okay, Harry," he heard Draco say softly. "We got you now. You're safe."

Safe. As if he was going to be safe ever again. As if he was safe in the beginning. He already felt disgusted with himself. These two were probably disgusted to have a mate like him as well. His whole body shook as he sobbed silently.

"Shhhh," Zabini soothed gently. "Why the tears, hmm?"

Harry didn't respond to him.

"You're safe with us, Harry," said Zabini. Hearing his name being uttered in Zabini's raspy voice sent a shiver down his spine. "We're not going to let anything happen to you. I promise. I got you, love. You're safe."

They were kind words and Harry wished he could believe them.

Harry stayed tucked in the Slytherin's arms for what seemed like forever. Hearing the soothing words and gentle patting, he found himself calming down eventually.

Pushing himself away from Zabini, he ducked his head and felt the heat on his entire face, ears, and neck.

"Sorry," apologized Harry.

"No need to apologize, Harry," said Draco. "We're both so glad that you're alright and that you're our mate."

"You are?" he questioned in disbelief.

"Of course," smiled Draco.

"We'll talk later," announced Zabini. "For now, let's get you to our room. You had an exhausting day."

Harry wanted to decline and tell them that he was going back to his own dormitory, but he WAS exhausted and he felt the need to be as close to them as possible. Having a confrontation was also something he didn't want at the moment. He didn't think he could handle anything.

When Zabini moved away in order to get up, Harry was horrified to realize that he had latched onto the other boy, refusing to let go. The other boy must have been surprised as well because he froze in place.

Zabini let out a small sigh. "I'm just getting up."

Harry retreated his hands in embarrassment, hoping a snake would appear out of nowhere to swallow him away from this awkward situation.

Both Draco and Zabini held his arms to help him stand and he in return blushed even harder than before. Once he stood up, something within him decided that maybe he didn't embarrass himself enough, because the next thing he knew, he was burying himself in Zabini's chest again. He couldn't help it. He felt so safe in there.

He heard a chuckle from behind him. "I'm starting to get jealous for being left out here!"

Harry stiffened at Draco's tone. He was probably making him angry by holding on to his boyfriend like this. His chest ached at the thought of causing someone to feel pain; especially Draco.

As if he was able to sense his distress, Harry found himself being pulled away from Zabini only to land in the arms of Draco.

"It's as if a missing piece from my heart had been returned to me," muttered Draco absentmindedly while running a hand through Harry's hair.

"Anyway, let's get going," said Draco.

After taking few steps, Harry's legs decided to give up and he would've fallen to the floor if it wasn't for Draco's hand on his waist.

"Harry!" cried Draco.

"Are you alright?" questioned Blaise in concern at the same time.

Harry groaned in frustration. The day was getting worse and worse for him. All he wanted to do was sleep so that this day would be gone forever and never be repeated again. He hated himself for what he was about to do next but he still couldn't help himself. With one look at Draco, he muttered a quiet, "please".

* * *

Blaise could feel how conflicting Harry's emotions were at that time. While he wanted to sit and have a discussion with the shorter boy so that they could understand each other better, he knew it wasn't the right time for that. Harry was very emotional and distraught so Blaise wanted to let him rest before they could talk and discuss their new relationship. Seeing how distressed the other boy was, Blaise's heart went for him. He never liked to see anyone suffering like that, let alone a submissive. Even worse was the fact that the boy was HIS submissive.

He watched in concern as Draco took the boy in his arms, carrying him towards their new quarters. Harry in response weakly linked his arms around the blond's neck. When Blaise focused on Harry enough, he could feel the horrified embarrassment and confusion oozing off the boy. There was a tiny hint of satisfaction and adoration towards Draco which Blaise was proud of. Of course his Draco would be adored. His boyfriend was kind and caring and he deserved to be adored and loved.

Once they entered their new quarters, Draco made his way towards the other room.

"No," Blaise stopped him. "Our room."

Draco nodded and went to the other room, placing Harry on the bed.

When Harry was about to get up, Blaise stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Rest," he ordered the boy while placing the blanket over him.

"But-" Harry tried to protest.

"We will talk later," Blaise assured him. "You need to rest for a bit. I know how hard this day has been for you. We will be in the living room if you need anything."

Harry remained silent but nodded his head. Taking that as a cue, Blaise dragged Draco along with him outside of the room, leaving the door ajar.

They sat in the living room, each contemplating what had just happened.

"I can't believe we actually have a third," said Draco after a while and when Blaise looked at him, he continued, "I just... I feel kind of relieved? I'm not sure. I mean, I never wanted anyone else besides you, Blaise, but this somehow feels right. Harry feels right."

Blaise knew what Draco was talking about exactly since he felt the same way.

"This will be difficult," he admitted to his snake. "You know how hard it is for me to open up to anyone besides you. I don't feel anything towards him. Well, we both had a crush on him before so there's that, but that's it for me. I don't know him. I don't know how to handle him."

"You will get to know him. We both will," Draco reassured him. "That morning I spoke with him, he was very sweet and shy and I just know you're going adore him so quickly. As you said, it will be hard for us to accept this new reality, but we can do it. I know we can."

"I don't know, Draco," sighed Blaise.

"Everything is going to be fine in the end," promised Draco, kissing the other boy's cheek. "As long as we have each other and be honest then we can deal with the situation. We should at least give him a chance."

"He's a submissive," frowned Blaise.

"Yes."

"I don't know how to handle submissives," Blaise confessed.

"You will learn," responded Draco. "You're the kindest, most thoughtful person I have ever met and I know for a fact that you won't find it in your heart to do anything that displeases him. I have to admit that it's going to be challenging seeing you with someone else but that's something we both have to deal with."

"No one is touching you. You're mine," growled Blaise.

He was rewarded by the sweetest sound that came from Draco as the blond laughed softly.

"You're so hot when you get jealous," whispered Draco in Blaise's ear.

Draco's breath on his ear immediately went straight to his crotch but he had to remind himself that it wasn't the right time to have fun.

"We need to set rules," he informed his Draco.

"Where do we start?" questioned Draco.

While Draco was a dominant as well, he was always letting Blaise take the lead when it came to these kinds of situations.

"First, I don't want you to handle things you can't, baby," said Blaise. "If you think this is too much, you need to tell me. If you're upset or anxious or even overloaded, I need to know."

"Same thing for you," Draco said.

"We have to stay close to him for the first two weeks since the bond is still new, so let's make sure one of us is always nearby. I don't feel comfortable leaving him in here while we go to classes, but I also don't feel comfortable leaving you two alone when you might need something. Should we skip classes for the time being?"

"Let's start with that and see how things go from there, then we'll decide," responded Draco.

"I don't think we should start with a lot of rules," said Blaise. "We shouldn't make life difficult for all of us and I'm sure the rules will come as the days pass but for now, I do want to enforce few rules for Harry."

"I'm listening."

"He can't get out of the quarters alone," Blaise declared. "At least not until the bond calms down and we can trust him to take care of himself. I don't want him to get hurt and you know how submissives are."

"I agree," Draco nodded his head. "And you know how some of the people here act towards submissives. If one of them said or did anything to upset him..." he trailed off.

"They won't. And if someone does, I WILL take care of it," Blaise promised.

"What about having friends over in here?" questioned Draco.

"Let's not," answered Blaise. "Not until we all become comfortable around each other enough to have people over. If you wish to hang out with your friends, please take it outside. My mother informed me that submissives are very territorial when it comes to their nest and that they get upset very quickly."

"So no more Pansy for a while," pouted Draco.

Blaise chuckled. "Hey, at lease you're not alone in this. None of us should have friends over for now. Besides, you know how Pansy is when it comes to Gryffindors."

"You're right," shuddered Draco. "I don't want her anywhere near him."

"Shou-" Blaise was interrupted by the sudden panic he felt.

Without a second thought, he rushed to the bedroom to find Harry.

* * *

Thanks for leaving comments and reading this chapter. I hope you like it!


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